The power of suds
Better laundry methods could make
oil workers safer.
Volume 43 Issue 18
Enhancing learning
Summit explores integration of research,
teaching and learning.
NIVERSITY
“OF ALBERTA
http://www.ualberta.ca/folio
Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
No silly,
it’s a U of A staffer in freefall.
May 12, 2006
Quirky questions unveil the elegance
of the universe for radio host
CBC’s Quirks and Quarks to be live-taped at the University of Alberta
By Ileiren Byles
fter 14 years of asking and answer-
ing science questions on CBC Radio’s
Quirks and Quarks program, host Bob
McDonald truly believes there’s no such
thing as a stupid question.
“There can be stupid answers,” he
said. “There’s really no such thing as a
stupid question because questions are all
about curiosity. You can be ignorant and
say, ‘Well, I don’t know that,’ but that
doesn’t make you stupid, it just makes
you curious.”
McDonald is hoping Edmontonians’
curiosity will express itself when he brings
the Quirks and Quarks program to the
University of Alberta’s Timms Centre for
the Arts for its annual taped-live broad-
cast on June 1.
“Actually, we're a little bit misleading
in saying that we’re having a question
show, that science has all the answers. It
doesn’t,” he said. “It very often has more
questions. But we figure some things out.
But sometimes in science, you raise more
questions than you get answers. But that’s
the nature of the beast.”
But it’s the element of surprise that
has kept the job fresh and fascinating for
McDonald over the past 14 years. “I get
surprised all the time. This interview I just
did 10 minutes ago, this guy talking about
lakes underneath the Antarctic ice — they
flow from one lake to the other, and these
rivers flow uphill. So, water does flow
uphill naturally,” he said.
“We had a question on the show just
last week about shaving gel - why some
shaving creams come in gel form and then
foam up. Well, it turns out there’s this
stuff in it that boils at skin temperature.
It’s a liquid until you put it on your face.
I love those ‘I didn’t know that’ moments.
They happen all the time, that’s the joy of
this job.”
As the world — North Americans,
in particular — face an ever-increasing
realm of technology in day-to-day life,
it’s easy to let the wonder pass us by, said
McDonald.
“In Canada, I don’t think we celebrate
Canadian science enough, because there’s
great stuff that happens here, including
at the University of Alberta, which is
why we're going there,” he said. “You've
got this new nanotechnology centre, you
have a great health science centre. And I
get to see this as part of what I do for a
living, and it amazes me that people in
Canada don’t really know what Canadian
science does.”
As we become more accustomed to
what we can accomplish, we become less
amazed, said McDonald.
“Science used to be ‘Gee whiz, gosh,
golly, look at this electric light.’ And now
we just turn them on. It’s just become
ingrained in our culture. I don’t think that
kids walking down the street with iPods
Bob McDonald, host of CBS's Quirks and Quarks, brings his program to the U of A June 1.
are really thinking a whole lot about the
chip that’s running it and the astounding
ability that this thing has to store so much
information with no moving parts,” he said.
“So at least in terms of technology, I think
we've become a little bit blasé about it.”
But it’s the simplest questions that
often lead to the most elegant answers,
said the CBC host.
“The beauty of it is that very often
when you take a simple question, and this
is what we try to do on this show, there’s
a lot to the answer. It’s more than just
the obvious,” he said. “I mean, did you
know that the spiral shape of a seashell is
a mathematical shape that is reproduced
again and again in nature, including the
shape of our Milky Way galaxy? So, the
Milky Way is the largest single unit thing
that we know of in the universe, and this
giant thing that we live in has the same
shape, mathematically, as a seashell. How
elegant. Isn’t that elegant? The universe is
so amazing and beautiful and wonderful.”
To submit a science question for
the Quirks and Quarks broadcast on the
University of Alberta campus, e-mail it
directly to quirks@cbc.ca or go to http://
radio.cbc.ca/programs/quirks/ and click
on ‘Contact Us.’ The live broadcast will be
hosted at the Timms Centre for the Arts
June 1, from 7:30 - 9 p.m. Admission is
free. The Timms Centre's capacity is 300
so come early to reserve your seat. @
38) yo Asano
Art imitating medical science
Program highlights the arts and humanities in health care
By Ryan Smith
“By participating in arts and humanities i“ e ! ,
very year for the past four years, par-
ticipants in the University of Alberta
Arts in Medicine Medical Student Club
have chosen a disease or a health condition
and then created artwork to express their
feelings about it. This year the students
produced paintings, sketches, poetry and
videos that focused on eating disorders.
“It forces you to explore and do some
self reflection,” said Jennifer Rauw, a sec-
ond-year U of A medical student. “And
that’s important, because it will help you
relate to patients and all the issues they’re
going through, and I think that makes you
a better doctor.”
The success of this and other medical
student clubs, such as the medical student
jazz band, along with a recognition of the
importance of the humanities in health
care, has led to a broader initiative at the U
of A to ensure that all medical students will
have opportunities to develop the left sides
of their brains as well as the right sides.
The Arts and Humanities in Medicine
and Health Program in the U of A Faculty
of Medicine and Dentistry will co-ordinate
and promote a wide range of curricu-
lar and extracurricular activities to help
develop well-rounded health care provid-
ers. World-renowned scholars Dr. Rita
Charon and Dr. Arthur Frank launched
the program Monday with public lectures
folio
Volume 43 Number 18
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
(EXTERNAL RELATIONS)
OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS,
6TH FLOOR GENERAL SERVICES BUILDING
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA,
EDMONTON, ALBERTA T6G 2H1
RICHARD CAIRNEY: Editor
CAITLIN CRAWSHAW: Managing Editor
GEOFF MCMASTER: Assistant Editor
CONTRIBUTORS:
Bev Betkowski, Ileiren Byles, Richard Cairney,
Caitlin Crawshaw, Lee Creig, Dawn Ford,
Tom Murray, Dr. Srdjn Pavlovic, Ryan Smith,
GRAPHIC DESIGN:
Marcey Andrews, Penny Snell
Folio's mandate is to serve as a credible news source
for the university community by communicating
accurate and timely information about issues,
programs, people and events and by serving as a
forum for discussion and debate.
Folio is published 20 times per year.
The editor reserves the right to limit, select, edit and
position submitted copy and advertisements. Views
expressed in Folio do not necessarily reflect university
policy. Folio contents may be printed with
acknowledgement.
Inquiries
Comments and letters should be directed to Richard
Cairney, editor, 492-0439
richard. cairney@ualberta.ca
Display Advertising
Deadline: Thursday 3 p.m. one week prior to publication
Bonnie Lopushinsky, 417-3464
bl5@ualberta.ca
Classified Ads
Deadline: Thursday 12 p.m. one week prior to publication
Lorraine Neumayer, 492-2325
Talks and Events
Deadline: Thursday 12 p.m. one week prior to publication
lorraine.neumayer@exr.ualberta.ca
Enter events online at
http:www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/events/submit.cfm
ISSN 0015-5764 Copyright 2006
a UNIVERSITY OF
ALBERTA
The University of Alberta maintains a database of all
alumni. This database is used to send you news about
the U of A, including Folio and New Trail, invitations
to special events and requests for support. On Sept. 1,
1999, post-secondary institutions were required to
comply with the Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy legislation of the province of
Alberta. In accordance with this legislation, please
respond to one of the following options:
G
Qi Please keep my name, or
QO Remove my name from the Folio list.
Name
Signature
No response means the University of Alberta assumes
an individual wishes to remain on the mailing list.
courses and activities, students, residents
and faculty will have an opportunity for
reflecting on their practice, and they will
have an enhanced opportunity for
developing meaningful connections
with patients, families and other health
Care practitioners.”
— Pamela Brett-Maclean
at the Bernard Snell Hall Theatre in the
University of Alberta Hospital.
“By participating in arts and humani-
ties courses and activities, students, resi-
dents and faculty will have an opportunity
for reflecting on their practice, and they
will have an enhanced opportunity for
developing meaningful connections with
patients, families and other health care
practitioners,” said program co-director
Pamela Brett-Maclean, a PhD candidate.
Not only does providing more oppor-
tunities for medical students to explore
the arts help to produce better doctors, it
also helps to produce healthier doctors,
said Jack Chiu, a second-year medical stu-
dent and co-leader of the U of A Medical
Students’ jazz band, Syncope.
sty Wale AW
=
“It’s important to live a balanced,
healthy life in order to be a caregiver for
others,” Chiu said. “And it’s good to enjoy
your career, but there’s more to a person’s
life than a career.”
Students Nick Graham, Ahmar Khan, Jack Chiu and Darrin Leung take a break from their studies to jam.
“The medical profession can be
demanding and stressful, so it’s impor-
tant to have an outlet,” he added. “Music
allows me to express myself in a positive
Way.” @
Institute takes a closer look at
our neighbours to the south
U of A home to new U.S. policy studies institute
By Ryan Smith
Ml Gor the importance of the U.S. for
Canada in general, and Alberta, in
particular, I think it very fitting that a U.S.
studies institute should be based at the
University of Alberta,” said Dr. Daniel
Woolf, dean of the Faculty of Arts, one
of the four U of A faculties that will be
involved in the new Institute for United
States Policy Studies, along with Law,
Business and Agriculture, Forestry and
Home Economics.
The purpose of the Institute, which was
officially launched earlier this month, is to
encourage analysis and discussion of the
policies and policy processes of the United
States. It will promote the study and dis-
semination of research results on U.S.
policy issues through lectures, conferences
and publications. The Institute will draw
together the expertise of researchers from
the University of Alberta, as well as from
Canada, the U.S. and other countries.
“There is a need for a better under-
standing of the United States,” said Dr.
Connie Smith, acting director of the new
institute. “It’s hugely important. They're
ten times the size of Canada, we share a
6,000-km border and about 80 per cent
of our exports go there, so try to imagine
developing policy in Canada without pay-
ing attention to what’s going on down
there. The United States is there, it’s big
and it’s the largest economy in the world,
and there are a lot of opportunities, and I
think that we would want to take advan-
tage of that.”
“It will also help because we actually
have a number of people who already do
research in the area, but we really haven't
provided an institutional focus. This
will allow us to have that,” said Woolf.
Participants hope their research will be
taken seriously by Canadian policy makers,
he added. “I’m not sure about American
“They're ten times the size of Canada, we share
a 6,000-km border and about 80 per cent of our
exports go there, so try to imagine developing
policy in Canada without paying attention to
what's going on down there.”
— Dr. Connie Smith
policy makers. As you say, they’re the
elephant and we're the beaver. But I would
hope that we would be able to provide a
kind of focus for considered policy deci-
sions toward the U.S., which really need to
be developed in response to what’s in the
best interests of Canada, but also where
US. policy in general is going.”
To support collaboration with scholars
from the U.S., the Faculty of Arts has com-
mitted to the annual funding of a Fulbright
scholar who will affiliate with the Institute,
said Smith.
“The Canada/U.S. Fullbright agree-
ment that will be signed today will pro-
vide funding for one American researcher
to come to the University of Alberta for
approximately one academic semester and
to undertake research here and lecture,”
Smith said.
Research at the institute will cover a
board spectrum of issues that link our two
countries, from U.S. federal politics, com-
merce, law and environmental policy to
agriculture, health, immigration and secu-
rity, Smith added.
Part of the institute’s mandate is to
share the gathered information, not only
with Canadian policy-makers, but with the
Canadian public, Woolf said.
Univetsity' of Alberta @) folio May 12,2006’.
Dr. Dean Woolf
“That’s part of the idea. We have lots
and lots of knowledge but we need to get
it off the campuses and into circulation,”
he said. “I think that President Indira
Samarasekera’s vision of connecting com-
munities is spot-on in this regard. This is
just one of several connections we can pro-
vide in terms of disseminating information
and knowledge to a public that is obvious-
ly very interested in matters that go on in
the U.S. and that have a very real effect on
life here, things like trade, commerce, mad
cow or softwood lumber, or something as
basic as how do I get across the border.”
The U of A’s launch of the Institute
for United States Policy Studies on May
8 included a panel discussion, Sharing a
Continent, with Naim Ahmed, U.S. Consul-
General, Calgary, Amira de la Garza, acting
director of the North America Center for
Transborder Studies in Arizona, Michael
Hawes, executive director of the Canada-
US. Fulbright Program, and Jeffrey
Simpson, the national affairs columnist at
The Globe & Mail.
yng ueky
2
o
i]
x.
<
8
w
3
3.
&
a
Learning in the context of research
U of A summit explores ways to create a more dynamic learning environment for undergraduates
By Caitlin Crawshaw
Fach year, post-secondary institutions
across Canada collectively receive
approximately $3 billion in research fund-
ing. But while research speeds ahead, pro-
ducing new discoveries and knowledge,
some people are asking how this funding
translates into a better learning environ-
ment for undergraduate students across
Canada.
In its second year, the summit is the
first of its kind to examine these issues.
When the inaugural summit was launched
last year, U of A Vice-President Research
Dr. Gary Kachanoski stressed the impor-
tance of addressing the issue.
“Universities do research in the con-
text of education. So the dual mandate of
education and research has always been
present,” he said. “But given the huge
investment in the research side over the
past 10 years, the question that comes up
is, are we doing as good of a job as we can
ensuring that our research is connected to
education?”
Post-secondary education is no longer
seen solely in terms of professors transmit-
ting knowledge through lectures to pas-
sive learners. It is increasingly associated
with integration of teaching, learning and
research, a subject that has gained increas-
ing attention in recent years both interna-
tionally and at the U of A.
For University of Edinburgh professor
Dr. Carolin Kreber, a keynote speaker at the
U of A’s second annual Canadian Summit
for the Integration of Teaching, Research
and Learning earlier this month, there are
several reasons for this shift in thinking.
The present landscape of post-second-
ary education is one explanation. Today’s
student bodies are diverse, and include an
increasing number of women and interna-
tional students, for instance. And because
of the high cost of post-secondary educa-
tion, many students are strapped for cash.
“Students now have to work if they
live in the province of Alberta,” she said.
“Consequently, undergraduates are
becoming far more vocal about what they
expect in an undergraduate program.”
Since more students attend university
in the hopes of securing well-paying jobs
in a competitive marketplace, they demand
better preparation for the work world.
And because students have the option
of attending smaller colleges or technical
schools, universities fight to offer the best
post-secondary experience. Research can be
an important difference between university
and college, she said.
Additionally, government agencies are
increasingly pressuring universities to cater
to the demands of the marketplace, she
said.
Kreber believes universities need to
recognize the reality of the political and
social landscape and develop programs
accordingly. And in her view, enhancing
education with research-based activities
not only helps students develop skills for
the job market, but provides opportunities
for personal growth.
“There’s the agreement that students...
change in their epistemological views as
they participate in higher learning,” she
said.
Kreber explains that as a result of their
schooling, students come to see knowledge
in more mature terms.
But creating an environment that suc-
cessfully integrates teaching and research
requires a two-fold strategy.
“T suggest that meaningful synergies
between teaching, research and learning
could be achieved by combining two kinds
of research-based teaching,” she said.
Universities should first supplement
student instruction with research-like
activities, such as community service learn-
ing programs (which the U of A has imple-
mented, through the Faculty of Arts).
Secondly, the organization and design
of teaching must be informed with knowl-
edge of how students learn.
“] think integration of teaching, learn-
ing and research is not complete if we
leave out pedagogical inquiry,” she said.
“The challenge then for universities is to
broaden the deeply entrenched view that
scholarship is about advancing knowledge
of a discipline, to understand scholarship
more broadly.”
The U of A is taking this challenge seri-
ously. This year’s Canadian Summit for
the Integration of Teaching, Research and
Learning, was held at the U of A from May
4-6, 2006, and focused on how the three
concepts can be better integrated.
In its second year, the summit brought
together more than 150 professors, admin-
istrators and student leaders from across
the country, including keynote speakers
from the UK and Australia, in the hopes of
facilitating dialogue.
“It’s an issue that post-secondary edu-
cation institutions from across the country
are trying to grapple with right now,” said
Brad Wuetherick, summit co-ordinator.
“And it’s a very important question for
how we move in Canada in terms of our
higher education, particularly as universi-
ties have more and more research money
coming into them; it becomes more impor-
University of Alberta & folio May 12, 2006.
tant for us to understand how we can make
sure that research is benefiting the learning
environment.”
The numbers themselves speak vol-
umes. The U of A, received roughly $55
million in sponsored research funding com-
pared to $350 million in operating revenue
in 1979-80. By 2004-05 that had closed to
$415 million in research funding compared
to $475 million in operating revenue. In
fact, this proportional increase in research
funding is a trend occurring at universities
nationwide.
This year, the conference focused on
best practices, a topic that U of A Vice-
President (Research) Dr. Gary Kachanoski
says is critical.
“Whether it’s the Senate task report on
the quality of undergraduate programs,
or whether our own academic plan which
has listed the undergraduate experience
or the integration of teaching and research
explicitly as objectives we want to do, the
question is how are we going to do this?”
he said.
“How are we going to do a better job
of ensuring that the significant investment
that’s being made in research is also then
impacting in a demonstrable way the learn-
ing of students, in particular the under-
graduate students?” m
“The challenge then for
universities is to broaden
the deeply entrenched view
that scholarship is about
advancing knowledge of a
discipline, to understand
scholarship more broadly.’
— Dr. Carolin Kreber
pinion
guest column
Could Montenegro's referendum be
the last phase of the Yugoslav dissolution?
Results will have ripple effect beyond the Balkans
By Dr. Srdja Pavlovic
Yamal is a tiny Balkan country. Its
population of 612,000 is a mix of vari-
ous Slavic and non-Slavic nations. It is also
a land of Eastern Orthodox Christianity,
Catholicism, Islam and Judaism. Its full-
bodied red wine, Vranac, is considered
among the best in the region. Its epic
poetry and stories about proud highland-
ers resisting the Ottomans for centuries is
the essence of the collective memory of its
people. Montenegro entered the popular
imagery of the West as a homeland of a
mysterious and secretive fictional character
Nero Wolf and as the final resting place of
the Jewish false prophet, Sabbatai Zvi.
At present, Montenegro is the smaller
partner in a dysfunctional state called the
Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Until the
end of the First World War in 1918, both
Montenegro and Serbia existed as inde-
pendent and sovereign states. In December
1918 the first common South Slavic state
was established. Serbia became its focal
point, while Montenegro disappeared from
the map and entered the newly created
Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
as an integral part of Serbia. At the end
of the Second World War, both Serbia and
Montenegro became two of six constitutive
elements of the newly formed communist
state. This new communist Yugoslavia
lasted for 45 years thanks, in part, to the
ideological restraints imposed upon its
republics.
Following the breakup of the commu-
nist order in Eastern Europe, the former
Yugoslavia dissolved in a series of bloody
wars. What was left of it was called the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, consisting
of Serbia and Montenegro. For the most
part, it served as a political playground
of the late Serbian president, Slobodan
Milosevic. It is worth noting that the politi-
cal change in Montenegro in 1989 came
on the wings of greater Serbian national-
ism and under the patronage of Slobodan
Milosevic.
Since 1997 Montenegro is a de facto
independent entity, with all the necessary
signifiers of statehood. It is important
to mention that Montenegro is the only
political entity in eastern Europe where the
power structure did not change since the
fall of the Berlin Wall. Its first post-com-
munist prime minister, Milo Djukanovic, is
still in charge of the Montenegrin govern-
ment. Despite a few cosmetic changes of
the political landscape in Montenegro, such
as shaky coalition governments between
the seemingly different Democratic Party of
Socialists (DPS) and the Social Democratic
Party (SDP), leaders of the 1989 movement
maintain a firm grip on power in a manner
typical for their communist predecessors.
On May 21, the citizens of Montenegro,
are going to vote in a referendum on their
country’s independence. This might be
the beginning of the end of the Yugoslav
breakup that started in the early 1990s. The
upcoming referendum is much more than
an attempt to settle a local issue. Its out-
come could have significant implications
The upcoming referendum is much
more than an attempt to settle a
local issue. Its outcome could have
significant implications for the entire
western Balkans.
for the entire western Balkans.
Judging by the diplomatic signals com-
ing from Brussels, the European Union
(EU) dreads the prospects of further frag-
mentation in the Balkans and of a pos-
sible domino effect that might destabilize
southeastern Europe. If Montenegro leaves
the union with Serbia, and if the south-
ern Serbian province of Kosovo follows
suit, what is to stop the northern Serbian
province of Vojvodina from seeking inde-
pendence? By the same token, what is
to stop the fragmentation of Macedonia,
since both Greece and Bulgaria claim the
rights to its territory? The list of potential
hotspots goes on and on. Many argue that
such “balkanization” of the southeastern
European political space would slow down
the integration of the western Balkans into
the EU. That is why the Montenegrin ref-
erendum on independence is an important
event indeed.
It is certainly a crucial event for the
citizens of Montenegro. The ruling coali-
tion is leading the movement for inde-
pendence while the opposition parties are
supporting the union with Serbia. If the
‘Yes’ vote wins the day, Montenegro would
regain independence for the very first time
since December 1918. That would mean
the establishing of a new state in eastern
Europe for the first time since 1991. If, on
the other hand, a ‘No’ vote prevails, the
current union with Serbia would survive,
albeit in a somewhat different form, and
the likelihood of establishing a strong
unitary state dominated by Serbia would
indeed be great. All of the opinion polls
conducted in Montenegro since 2000 indi-
cate that the independentists and unionists
were separated by no more than four — five
per cent at any given time.
A ‘Yes’ vote would put a legal stamp of
approval on the situation on the ground.
Very few, if any, of the politicians in the
region would dispute the fact that the cur-
rent Union of Serbia and Montenegro is
anything but an empty shell. Many people
in Montenegro support independence (46
— 49 per cent) but those percentages might
not be high enough to win the approval of
the international community. Because of its
many faults and due to the pressure from
the EU administration, the Montenegrin
government recently adopted a new refer-
endum law. According to this legislation,
the results of the referendum are valid only
if 55 per cent of eligible voters cast their
votes in favour of one of the options.
A‘No’ vote is favoured by a large num-
ber of people in Montenegro (40 — 45 per
cent) as well. It is a preferred outcome for
the politicians in Belgrade. Such outcome
of the Montenegrin referendum would
pave the way for a new and strong unitary
state. The problem is that the sole point
of contact for a rather fragmented union-
ist movement is their desire to prevent
Montenegro from becoming independent
once again. They have no plan for “the day
after” or for a much-needed restructuring
of the non-functioning union. With that
in mind, the ‘No’ vote would support yet
another failed state-building experiment in
the Balkans.
Caught between these two magnet
poles is some 10 - 12 per cent of the elec-
torate that abstained from voting in the
last decade or so. They are justifiably
concerned over the rampant corruption
in Montenegro and the deeply criminal-
ized structures of power. While leaning
towards the independentist option, these
voters are unable to solve fundamental
issues of every country in transition — how
to achieve their country’s independence
while ousting the corrupt government from
power. What should come first — statehood
or democracy?
There exists a deep fault line separat-
ing the political rhetoric of the ruling elite
and its “adherence” to concepts of rights,
liberty, equality or justice, and the shady
institutional, technocratic, and autocratic
practices that undermine those same con-
cepts. Of course, the world of politics was
always complex and filled with dilemmas,
party politics, trade-offs and backroom
deals. Montenegrin politics is no exception.
Many people in Montenegro, however,
equate a ‘Yes’ vote on the upcoming refer-
endum with giving a blank cheque to the
current regime. It remains to be seen how
this group of voters is going to solve those
dilemmas. Both those opposing the inde-
pendence and those in favor of it are court-
ing this group of voters hoping that their
support would help them tip the balance
on May 21.
The ruling elite in Montenegro claims
statehood is a prerequisite for a successful
integration into Europe. The EU adminis-
tration in Brussels, meanwhile, wonders
how many different and often opposing
nationalistic claims it should satisfy before
pacifying the troubled Balkans. While the
referendum in Montenegro might signal
the end game in the former Yugoslavia
it could, on a regional level, open up an
entirely new political Pandora’s Box.
(Dr. Srdja Pavlovic teaches at the
Department of History and Classics, University
of Alberta, and specializes in the cultural
and political history of the South Slavs. He
and Killam Postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Emilian
Kavalski are presenting a panel discussion
entitled Balkanization or Europeanization:
The Montenegrin Referendum, Serbia, and the
Future of the Western Balkans May 18, 3 — 5
p.m. in the Old Arts Building Senate Chamber.
Pavlovic can be reached at: srdjapavlovic@
yahoo.com .) @
SHARE YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
Join the new U of A Guide to Experts
Log on to
www.experts.ualberta.ca
AeA
eatin itind
SUI R
UNIVERSITY
ALBE
Exp
‘our online-news source
U of A news every weekday..
on the Web...
essNews _
OF
T
www.ualberta.ca/ExpressNews/
Folio welcomes letters to the editor. Send your thoughts and opinions via e-mail to richard.
cairney@ualberta.ca, fax at 492-2997, or by mail to Folio, Office of Public Affairs, 6th Floor General
to the editor services Building, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2H1. Letters may be edited for grammar, style, accu-
racy and length.
University of Alberta’ QB folio May 12, 2006
Volunteer efforts fund cancer research at the U of A
Funding supports research on the body’s immune defenses
By Ileiren Byles
ore than $1 million in research funds
from the Canadian Cancer Society
(CSS) will go a long way towards helping
University of Alberta researchers provide
hope for Canadians who've been touched
by cancer.
Two U of A researchers, Dr. Hanne
Ostergaard and Dr. Michael Hendzel,
exemplify the vast spectrum of work that
is focused on fighting cancer, said Doug
Baker, regional director for the Canadian
Cancer Society’s Alberta/ NWT division.
“And we will continue to support their
research as long as we have hope.”
Hendzel’s research is focused on the
fundamentals of cell structure. He’s study-
ing a very basic protein, actin, which has
a profound job — repairing breaks in our
DNA. “A better understanding of how this
protein works could lead to some impor-
tant new ways to treat cancer, or even pre-
vent it from occurring in the first place,”
said Hendzel, who will receive $411,498
over three years for his work. But he cau-
tioned that Canadians’ donations for can-
cer research will be increasingly important
during the next few years.
“The recent Harper budget significantly
hinders research. Tax cuts come at a cost
and one of those costs could potentially be
a future cure for cancer,” he said. “There
are a lot of untapped intellectual resources
in this country, and we may be entering a
time of crisis.”
Ostergaard will receive $658,250 over
five years to investigate the role of the
body’s killer T-cells that can kill cancer
“We're all aware of what killer cells can do. If you've
ever had a viral infection and survived it, that’s
your killer cells at work. But isolated Killer cells will
effectively kill cancer cells in a test tube. And, in
the blood of some cancer patients, you can observe
killer cells attacking cancer cells. But, for some
reason, they just can’t keep up with the cancers.’
— Dr. Hanne Ostergaard
cells, and ways to make the process more
effective.
“We're all aware of what killer cells can
do. If you’ve ever had a viral infection and
survived it, that’s your killer cells at work,”
she said. “But isolated killer cells will effec-
tively kill cancer cells in a test tube. And, in
the blood of some cancer patients, you can
observe killer cells attacking cancer cells.
But, for some reason, they just can’t keep
up with the cancers.”
When a killer T-cell detects a tumour
cell, it releases special molecules that are
able to penetrate and destroy the cell, but
this release must be tightly controlled so
that surrounding, healthy cells aren’t killed
as well.
The hope, said Ostergaard, is to devel-
op new treatments that boost the T-cells’
cancer fighting potential, or even to cre-
ate a cancer vaccine. “But we’re trying to
reverse engineer what goes on in the cell
without really knowing the cell construct
in the first place.”
Research like the work that’s going on
at the U of A provides hope for Canadians
like Mildred Thiel, who has beaten cancer
not once, but three times in her life. Her first
encounter with cancer was when she was 15;
she beat it twice while she was in her 30s.
“They say after five years of being cancer
free to throw yourself a party and after 10
Laundry can mean life or death
Report recommends laundry conditions for industrial clothing be better controlled
By Bev Betkowski
Dr. Hanne Ostergaard works at the station where she mixes killer T-cells with cancer cells.
»
years throw a big party,” she said. “I can tell
you I have a humungous party coming up.”
Thiel thanked volunteers and research-
ers for continuing the fight against cancer.
“As a child, | watched TV and was
susceptible, as children are, to advertising,”
she said. “And I remembered this com-
mercial that said, ‘Cancer can be beaten.’
At 15, I had no doubts that cancer could be
beaten and at 30, I was sure.” @
t’s one of the dirtiest jobs around, and
University of Alberta researchers are hop-
ing to convince workers in the oilpatch to
pay more attention to doing their laundry.
Improving their laundering practices
will better protect workers against the
hazards of wearing dirty or improperly
cleaned clothing.
Several times a year, U of A researcher
Dr. Jose Gonzalez lays out a newly charred
pile of industrial clothing to study in his
lab. He tries not to think about the person
who was wearing the clothing when it
caught fire, but focuses instead on how to
make the coveralls and coats safer.
One solution is simple but vital: figur-
ing out the appropriate procedures for
laundering - how much detergent, what
kind, and which pre-treatment methods, if
any, work best. It doesn’t sound glamorous,
but Gonzalez and Dr. Betty Crown of the
U of A Protective Clothing and Equipment
Reseafch Facility (PCERF) know that prop-
er care can make a difference in how badly
a worker might be burned.
Crown published a study on launder-
ing techniques after a worker wearing
flame-resistant (FR) coveralls was exposed
to a flash fire and suffered third-degree
burns to most of his body. “Was the FR
protective clothing inadequate, or had
it not been properly cleaned to ensure
adequate protection? The degree of cleanli-
ness required to maintain the protective
qualities of FR clothing is not well known,”
Crown said.
The report recommends that laundry
conditions for industrial clothing be con-
trolled carefully. Dry cleaning or commer-
cial laundering is recommended for very
dirty garments, and for on-site laundry
washes in the oilpatch load size and water-
detergent-fabric ratio need to be controlled.
“Because of the necessity to better control
laundry variables, it is recommended that
one person be placed in charge of launder-
ing dirty garments, rather than leaving the
task up to individual workers,” Crown
said.
In Alberta’s booming oil and gas
industry, keeping workers safe from haz-
ards such as flammable environments is
important. Most firms and their workers
are very safety-conscious, but many exist-
ing laundry practices in the field could
be improved greatly, Gonzalez believes.
“Guidelines are not well-established. It’s
not a new issue but people are now becom-
ing more aware of it, because of workplace
accidents that are happening.”
That, combined with the inexperience
of young workers who make up much of
the industry’s workforce, means education
is crucial, even about doing laundry. The
advice provided by suppliers of FR cloth-
ing usually relates to commercial laundry
processes rather than cleaning clothes at
Dr. Jose Gonzalez with burned clothing from the oilpatch.
remote work sites.
“Doing the laundry may seem mun-
dane, but even in everyday life there are
many factors that help determine its effec-
tiveness in removing dirt. When dirt such
as oily contaminants creates a hazard in
the workplace, either directly or through
reducing the effectiveness of FR clothing,
laundering practices become even more
important,” Crown said. Their research
helps save lives.
By conducting research on appropri-
ate laundering for field sites, Crown and
Gonzalez hope to educate workers and
employers on the most effective ways to
care for flame-resistant garments, and to
demonstrate the importance of establishing
firm guidelines for their use.
Of the burned clothing that comes into
Gonzalez’ lab for analysis, much of it is
dirty enough to have posed a threat. “If the
University of Alberta @ folio May 12, 2006:
LySMoyIag Aag
“Guidelines are not well-established. It’s not
a new issue but people are now becoming
more aware of it, because of workplace
accidents that are happening.’
-— Dr. Jose Gonzalez
garment is soiled or is contaminated, the
protective properties may be significantly
reduced. Oil or grease on a garment may
ignite it. It may not fully burn, but it will
ignite.”
Other hazards include wearing only
one or two pieces of protective cloth-
ing. In one incident that yielded a pile of
badly burned clothing for him to analyze,
Gonzalez noted that if the wearer had
been completely clothed in flame-resistant
protective gear, he would have been safe.
“Ideally, everything a worker wears should
be flame-resistant, including underclothes.”
Another serious hazard is the elec-
trostatic propensity of some FR clothing.
Gonzalez points to the example of an oil
well fire that broke out near Edmonton in
December of 2004, in which static electric-
ity played a role. Even static from sliding
across a car seat can spark a fire in the
highly-charged atmosphere of a well site.
The kinds of damage he is seeing in
work clothing causes him concern about
the level of awareness workers may or may
not have in the field. “Firms, including
contractors, should provide enough cloth-
ing so workers can change as required, and
workers must be aware that contaminated
garments may have significantly reduced
protection,” Gonzalez said. “There are
regulations mandating the wearing of pro-
tective garments, but much about their use
and maintenance is up to company policy,”
Gonzalez said. @
sayhkg uasayy
The start of something good
Charter Day a reminder of the U of A’s history
By Caitlin Crawshaw
ne hundred years ago on May 9, the
University of Alberta became more than
a twinkle in Alberta’s eye when Alberta’s
Lieutenant-Governor signed the University
Act and officially established the institution.
Earlier this month the U of A com-
munity recognized the Centennial of this
critical legislation, an anniversary dubbed
Charter Day.
The celebration was spearheaded by
Vice-Provost Ernie Ingles, who noted that,
despite the role of Charter Day in the
founding of the university, it is a little-
known part of U of A history.
“My understanding has been that
Charter Day has been in the university
calendar for an awfully long time, and you
probably have never noticed it, it’s one of
those little things you wonder about,” he
said. “I would say that in anybody’s estima-
tion, today marks our 1ooth anniversary.”
To celebrate the event, the university
today distributed replicas of the University
Act and handwritten minutes from early U
of A meetings proposing Charter Day as a
U of A holiday.
The Act laid down the legal foundation
for the university, outlining its function,
structure and goals. It established a gov-
erning body for the U of A and outlined its
powers, as well as indicating some of its
values. It created faculties, a registrar and
the establishment of a chancellor, as well.
“Tt is an important event in our history.
It is a day worthy of a general understand-
ing, and I hope we might persuade the
community and the academy that this is an
important day,” Ingles added.
What’s more, the Act established some
of the U of A’s long-standing values. One
clause, for instance, states that the univer-
sity would be non-sectarian, and that “no
religious dogma or creed shall be taught
and no religious test required of any stu-
dent or other person.”
“Many of the universities in Eastern
Canada and Atlantic Canada had their
beginnings as religious, sectarian universi-
ties and colleges, and (university president)
Henry Marshall Tory and (Alberta premier)
Alexander Rutherford were determined
that this university should not suffer from
the same disadvantages . . . they saw that
it would be better for a university to be
non-sectarian and accessible to everyone
regardless of religion,” explained U of A
archivist Bryan Corbett.
Additionally, another clause states that
U of A Senate makes provisions for the
education of women.
“Other universities had admitted
women to them for study, yet (Rutherford
and Tory) were determined that women
should have equal access to university
Top teachers honoured
Awards recognize excellence in teaching
By Richard Cairney
(From left to right) University of Alberta Vice-Provost Ernie Ingles, Registrar Carole Byrne and Chancellor Eric
Newell with a reproduction of the first University Act and hand-written minutes from the legislative session
that proposed Charter Day.
education.”
Following the establishment of the
legal foundation, the first university presi-
dent, Henry Marshall Tory, was hired in
November that same year.
The first U of A classes were held in
Queen Alexandra School in 1908, and the
Faculty of Arts and Sciences became the
first faculty. Slowly, academic staff mem-
bers were recruited both locally and inter-
nationally. Now, from humble beginnings,
the U of A has grown to serve more than
36,500 students, with some 9,000 faculty
and staff.
he University of Alberta celebrated
Charter Day, the 100th anniversary of
the legislation that established the institu-
tion, May 9. So it was fitting that it also
presented its highest awards for teaching
on the same day, in the name of two of the
university’s founders.
The William Hardy Alexander Awards
for Excellence in Sessional Teaching and
the Rutherford Award for Excellence in
Undergraduate Teaching were awarded
to eight of the university’s finest teachers,
nominated by their peers.
The Rutherford award is named
for Alberta’s first premier, Alexander
Rutherford, who was instrumental in
establishing the University of Alberta dur-
ing the province's first legislative session;
the Alexander award is named for W.H.
Alexander, the first professor hired at the
U of A. A descendent of each family was in
attendance.
“Tt is entirely fitting and appropri-
ate that on this day we celebrate teach-
ing,” said Provost and Vice-President
(Academic) Dr. Carl Amrhein. “It is our
core teaching mission that defines us.”
Janet Wesselius, from the Department
of Philosophy, and Philip Mingay, with
the Department of English and Film
Studies, were presented with the William
Hardy Alexander Awards for Excellence in
Sessional Teaching.
The Rutherford Award for Excellence
in Undergraduate Teaching was presented
to Dr. Gerda de Vries, with the Department
of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences,
Dr. Scott North, with the Department
of Oncology, Dr. John-Paul Himka, in
the Department of History and Classics,
Dr. Al Meldrum, in the Department of
Physics, Dr. Arthur Mar, in the Department
of Chemistry and Dr. Claude Couture,
with Campus Saint-Jean, the university’s
French-language faculty.
Each of the recipients made observa-
tions on teachers who influenced them, the
science and art of teaching and the teach-
ing environment. De Vries described two
“teachable moments” of the past year: one
occurred during a class in which students
challenged her on a problem she presented
aX
their teaching expertise on May 9.
them with, drawing on lessons in another
discipline.
“Tt was an opportunity for deep learn-
ing and discovery,” she said. “But we can’t
rely upon serendipity; we need to orches-
trate similar opportunities.”
The other moment came when de Vries
took a conference’s organizing committee
to task for its homogenous make-up.
“As a woman in math I am a minority
— Iam attuned to the questions of diver-
sity,” she said, adding that the two epi-
sodes underscored for her the fact that “we
all learn and discover valuable lessons in
sometimes unexpected ways.”
Physics professor Al Meldrum’s col-
Physics Professor Dr. Al Meldrum and Bill Rutherford, grandson of the late premier Alexander Rutherford. Meldrum was one of eight U of A instructors honoured for
leagues nominated him for the award
because “he conveys the wonder of the
subject that he teaches.” In accepting
his award, Meldrum confessed he was
surprised to become so passionate about
teaching.
“My first love is research,” he said,
adding that he has found teaching and
research are intertwined.
“Being a good researcher helps you be
a good teacher, and students help you learn
how to become a good teacher,” he said,
explaining that some classes he thought
went incredibly well fell flat for students,
and others, which he felt were poorly
delivered, have been hits with students.
University of Alberta @ folio May 12, 2006
Be
The key to finding the right balance, he
said, is “caring enough to cross the barrier
and see yourself from the perspective of a
student — and that’s not easy.”
Oncology professor North agreed. “I’ve
probably learned more from listening to
the students, about what I’ve done wrong
or what I've done badly,” he said. “Being
a teacher doesn’t mean telling students all
that you know; it’s giving them an oppor-
tunity to learn how to learn. One of the
dangers is we think this is the only chance
we'll get to teach them, and we are going
to cram everything we know into 55 min-
utes and they are going to like it. I think
that sometimes, less is more.” @
2
'o
=
a
>
a
f=
Kausve) paeyrry
Writing 101
Writing workshop focuses on student motivation
By Dawn Ford
or Toby Fulwiler, the secret to student
motivation and writing is simple.
“It’s their language, not yours,” said
the University of Vermont professor emeri-
tus to a room of more than 200 academics
and students from across campus attending
the preliminary writing workshop hosted
by the University of Alberta’s new writing
task force on April 28.
“A major problem in many of the poor
papers we read is that students are trying
in one act to generate ideas and in another
act to communicate these ideas,” added
Fulwiler, who has taught hundreds of
writing workshops in North America and
the UK.
In the generating-ideas process, stu-
dents need to use their own language
freely. According to Fulwiler, this is about
uncovering and discovering, before the act
of writing to communicate even begins.
“It’s really hard not to use your own
language. Whenever they are writing to
learn, they need to be in non-threatening
situations first. They need to use language
badly sometimes.”
Fulwiler assigned instructors to collec-
tive brainstorming and individual writing
exercises to explore why writing can be so
difficult for students and academics.
“Students don’t give themselves
enough time to write the first draft before it
is due,” said one instructor. “They have no
sense that writing is a process and that the
first draft is only the first step.”
In Fulwiler’s view, it’s precisely dur-
ing this initial figuring stage that students
need freedom to find their own thoughts
and put them down, using their own
words. He teaches that writing itself is a
stage of thinking.
“Writing or drawing an image or
thought freezes it in time like a photo-
graph, so it can be viewed critically and
manipulated before it vanishes in divergent
or digressive new thought,” he writes.
One of the biggest problems identified
by instructors was that students try hard
puoy umeg
Toby Fulwiler, a professor emeritus from the University of Vermont, imparts his knowledge of the writing process to U of A academics and students.
not to write simply and are instead more
concerned with how they sound, often
using academic language to impress.
According to Fulwiler, they are model-
ling what they think the instructor wants
instead of their own thoughts.
And the values and motivations are dif-
ferent for each student.
“Academics choose the topics and
make their own assignments. This is a huge
difference in values and motivations. For
academics, it’s publish or perish. Where is
the carrot for the students?” he asked.
According to Fulwiler, the carrot is a
class that begins with actions, such as pos-
ing a powerful question at the beginning
of class, one that draws students in and
engages their minds.
“Make a class that generates profound
ideas and questions. The answers may be
outside of your lecture and you may be
unprepared, but put yourself at risk,” says
Grant funds cystic fibrosis research
U of A researchers explore how antimicrobial peptides can reduce lung infection
By Ileiren Byles
Fou University of Alberta laborato-
ries will be sharing their insights and
research to examine the role the immune
system plays in patients with cystic fibrosis
(CF).
Doctors Marek Duszyk, Edan Foley,
Randall Irvin and John Vederas will use
$184,651 in Canadian Institutes of Health
Research (CIHR) funding over three years
to examine models of bacterial lung infec-
tion in cystic fibrosis and the effects of
therapy with antimicrobial peptides.
“In normal circumstances, inflamma-
tion is thought to be a good thing because
it fights infection,” said Duszyk. “But in
cystic fibrosis, inflammation is out of con-
trol and it becomes a vicious cycle. It does
far more damage than it benefits the host.
Being able to downgrade inflammation is
thought to be very beneficial, at least in the
short term while we don’t know how to
treat the infected gene.”
Duszyk, a professor in pulmonary
medicine will work with Vederas, a chem-
ist, and microbiologists Irvin and Foley to
find ways to deal with inflammation.
“Dr. Vederas is a chemist who has been
interested in antimicrobial peptides for
years. He’s an expert in this field. He has
been synthesizing these peptides for use in
the food preservation industry and they’re
thought to be very antibacterial,” said
Duszyk. “But while we're very interested
in the effects these peptides could have
on cystic fibrosis epithelial cells, we also
have to determine the effect they'll have on
crobial particles can reduce inflammation in CF patients.
healthy cells.”
Cystic fibrosis is the most common,
fatal genetic disease affecting young
Canadians. The disease affects primarily
the lungs and the digestive system, causing
severe breathing problems and hindering
the body’s ability to absorb nutrients dur-
ing digestion.
Understanding the role of the immune
Dr. John Vederas will collaborate with Drs. Marek Duszyk,
Fulwiler who believes instructors them-
selves often contribute to writing phobias.
“It’s worth reflecting on the model
of education that we give them, like me
standing up at the head of a class saying
things to a room full of students who are
listening and copying. We talk too much
as instructors when our students, the ones
who are less experienced with language,
remain passive.” @
ee es
Edan Foley and Randall Irvin to study how antimi-
system in lung disease is the focus of the
new research projects funded through
a $4.5 million partnership between the
CIHR Institutes of Infection and Immunity
and Cardiovascular and Respiratory
Health, AllerGen, a network of Centres of
Excellence based at McMaster University in
Hamilton, Ontario and the Canadian Cystic
Fibrosis Foundation (CCFF). The new
University of Alberta @ folio May 12, 2006
SBALYUe OO4
“It could both keep people from needing
a lung transplant and it could keep those
who are awaiting transplants alive
longer. Even after transplantation,
patients are often dealing with perpetual
inflammation and this treatment could
be very beneficial for them.’
— Dr. Marek Duszyk
research initiatives were announced just in
time for both Allergy/Asthma and Cystic
Fibrosis (CF) Awareness Months and will
focus on developing a better understand-
ing of the ways in which people respond to
exposure to infectious agents in the lungs.
While controlling inflammation isn’t
seen as a potential cure for CF, it could
make a big difference in the quality of life
of those who live with the disease, said
Duszyk.
“It could both keep people from need-
ing a lung transplant and it could keep
those who are awaiting transplants alive
longer,” he said. “Even after transplanta-
tion, patients are often dealing with perpet-
ual inflammation and this treatment could
be very beneficial for them.” #
Free falling
Jumping from perfectly good airplanes is a family affair for Ron Stonehouse
By Lee Craig
U of A staffer who dreamed for 35 years
of going skydiving before taking that
first jump has quickly progressed to jump-
ing solo.
Ron Stonehouse, a 58-year-old senior
business analyst in External Relations, took
that first leap, along with his daughter and
his sister-in-law, on the May long weekend
last year.
“My daughter talked my sister-in-law
into going and then caught me at a weak
moment and said, ‘Hey, Dad, are you com-
ing with us?’ So I said, ‘Sure. What the
heck. Why not?’ This was not something
new — it was just getting around to doing
it,” said Stonehouse.
The three of them went to the Eden
North Parachute School, about 50 km west
of Edmonton. It was a pretty nice day,
Stonehouse remembered.
The three family members and others
in the tandem groups had about a half-
hour of training with a tandem master to
understand how they would exit the plane,
and to understand what to expect. Then
there was a practice run and the OK to go.
“About 15 minutes before the jump
they put us in a jumpsuit, helmet, goggles,
and a special harness that would attach us
to the jump master and they led us out to
the airplane,” said Stonehouse.
“T think I had an adrenaline rush at that
point. Was I nervous? Not necessarily. I
have been up that high before. I was a pilot
~ I’m not an active one at this point — so
the height didn’t scare me. It was more the
case that I’ve never been up that high with
an open door.”
Stonehouse and his sister-in-law went
up together and his daughter and a friend
went in the second round.
“They usually have the people who
are heavier jump first because they fall a
little bit faster and get out of the way a
little bit quicker. I was actually the first
one out on that jump,” said Stonehouse,
who was on the ground to see his daugh-
ter, Donna, jump.
“Tt was quite exciting to see her face
and hear her comments afterwards.”
Skydiving is an experience he thinks
everyone should have at least once. With
his first solo jump, which he completed
in July, as part of the first jump course,
Stonehouse enjoyed some truly unforget-
table minutes.
“T don’t think I can do it justice. It is
quiet, but not lonely. You are no longer
with any one person once you step out
and release from the plane,” he said. “It’s
a time of independence where it’s just you
and the wind.”
One of the most common things people
ask when they learn Stonehouse enjoys
skydiving is “Why would you like to jump
out of a perfectly good airplane?” and
“Why aren’t you scared that something
could go wrong?”
This fear that some people express
to him isn’t a factor for Stonehouse. “I
wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t trust them
(the instructors) ... your instincts take over.
You know what to do.”
After his tandem jump, Stonehouse
took something called the “first-jump
course,” which allowed him to do a solo
jump after five prior jumps. Before he was
allowed to do that, he was required to
complete a five-hour training course.
“It took us (him and Donna) about
four to five weeks to actually get through
the course and do the jump itself, just
because it was windy or rainy or whatever
the case might be that the school might
not be open.”
The course taught them all the require-
ments of skydiving: what you need to
look for to see if the parachute has opened
properly, whether you can control it, how
to land safely, and all the things you have
to think about as part of an emergency
procedure.
Stonehouse emphasized that these pro-
cedures become second nature.
“You've got to be able to recognize
problems (such as a non-functioning para-
chute or twisted lines) on the go and make
the proper decision about what you are
going to do: can you correct it or do you
have to do what they call a cut-away — in
Eden North Parachute School.
other words, you release your main para-
chute and go back to your reserve. So that’s
all practiced on the ground, for anywhere
from a half-hour to an hour.”
There is also a 100-question exam, which
a person has to answer with 100 per cent
accuracy before being allowed to jump solo.
Stonehouse wishes he had gone skydiv-
ing earlier in life and is always disappoint-
ed if weather conditions prevent jumps on
the days he goes out. He appreciates that
skydiving shows those who do it that they
can rely on themselves.
“It’s a good thing for me to do,” he said,
“at my age and with a bad right knee.”
His family has been very supportive, he
University of Alberta 8 ) folio May 12, 2006
U of A business analyst Ron Stonehouse tandem jumps for the first time with an enthusiastic instructor from
Zz
2
g
:
8
B
<
gy
F
3
z
3
a
8
=
8
#
Zs
g
said. His wife, Madeline, enjoys going out to
the school to watch his and Donna’s jumps.
“She’s a second set of eyes and that
helps me to improve,” he said, adding that
videos are a large part of training.
Stonehouse’s parents seemed shocked
when they heard what he was doing, he
said, but they have come out to watch.
“My dad said he would love to doa
tandem jump, but he can’t because of a
medical condition.”
Stonehouse, who has worked in
External Relations since 1997, is aiming
at earning his Class A certificate, which
requires, among other things a minimum
of 25 jumps and 10 minutes of free fall. @
Professor's chemistry earns Humboldt Award
International award recognizes life-long achievement in science
By Tom Murra
Di David Bundle sounds tired. Lately
the chemistry professor has been flying
back and forth between Edmonton and
Germany, where he and other research-
ers have been collaborating on a project
involving different aspects of carbohy-
drates —- dry work to some, but essential.
Bundle has recently been awarded the
prestigious Humboldt Award from the
non-profit German foundation of the same
name, recognizing his continuing endeav-
ours in this area.
The award recognizes lifetime achieve-
ment. The Alexander von Humboldt
Foundation promotes international
research co-operation, allowing scholars
to spend extended periods of research in
Germany.
“The foundation supports research
in collaboration with German scien-
tists,” explained Bundle, who also serves
as director of the Alberta Ingenuity
Centre for Carbohydrate Science here in
Edmonton. “The centre itself has quite
a reputation, and there’s an interest in
Germany about collaborating and build-
ing relationships on specific projects
because of this.”
It’s a perfect fit, because a great deal
of Bundle’s research has been done in
conjunction with European scientists, and
it allows him to associate with experts
in the field and keep up with the latest
breakthroughs. It’s also helped Bundle con-
tinue his fruitful collaboration with Hugh
Willison, a neurology professor at the
University of Glasgow in Scotland.
“I’ve been working with him for years
to find a way to treat conditions that arise
from a disease called Guillain-Barre syn-
drome,” Bundle said. Guillain-Barre is a
disorder characterized by the way it causes
symmetrical paralysis and loss of reflexes,
usually starting in the legs. “It occurs after
somebody’s had food poisoning, and is
usually associated with an anaerobic bacte-
rium called campylobacter.”
According to Bundle, the bacteria
“expresses” carbohydrates on the sur-
face that are similar to the carbohydrates
on some of the body’s nerve junctions,
called gangliacydes. “Some of the patients
who've had them develop antibodies
against these carbohydrates. It’s believed
that these antibodies bind the ganglia-
cydes that occur at nerve junctions. They
impair the impulses, so you get paralysis,
or in some cases death.”
The disease is rare — the incidences are
only about 10 in a million.
“But for people who are infected it can
mean severe death or hospitalization and
intensive care.”
There isn’t much in the way of treat-
ment for this disease. One option is to try
and remove as many antibodies as one can
from circulation.
“This is rather crude,” Bundle said.
“Professor Willison and I decided we
would try to find the simple carbohy-
drate sequences that were bound to these
antibodies and allow us to remove them.
We've identified structures that allow us to
remove antibodies from patients.”
On his most recent trip overseas
Bundle met with Willison and two other
researchers to discuss ways they could eco-
nomically produce the carbohydrates these
antibodies will bind to, along with a way
in which to immobilize them on a solid.
Going for the gold
U of A gearing up for this year’s Corporate Challenge
By Caitlin Crawshaw
ure, it’s not all about winning, but
the University of Alberta Corporate
Challenge team isn’t ready to relinquish
the gold.
After two years of snagging first-place
overall in its category, as well as in the
spirit category, the U of A crew is gearing
up for this year’s Corporate Challenge,
and hopes to defeats its main rivals,
the Edmonton School Board, Alberta
Infrastructure and Transportation, and
Stantec.
“You always look to your competitors;
they probably will build stronger teams as
well,” said U of A Corporate Challenge co-
ordinator Valerie Hunter.
“I know we continually try to take
the best out to every event and every
competition.”
And as the old adage goes, winning
isn’t everything.
“It’s not just about winning, but doing
our best, from a good sportsman point of
view,” added Hunter, who has participated
in the power pull competition in past years.
The recipe for success might be difficult
to pin down, but Hunter notes that a good
proportion of U of A staff members main-
Some of the members of last year’s U of A Corporate Challenge team.
tain a healthy lifestyle.
“Based on what we can see, a lot of
people are quite active,” she said.
Hunter is quick to add that the games
aren’t just for extreme athletes.
“You don’t even have to be quite ath-
letic. You can participate in eight-ball, table
tennis, darts. So, we have all those kinds of
events. Even lawn bowling.”
In total, there are 22 Corporate
Challenge events, plus a number of
spirit events. The schedule of events will
be available on the U of A’s Corporate
Challenge website after May 11 ( http://
www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/challenge/).
“It’s a really great opportunity to get to
know people from all over campus and just
to see them participate in something that’s
not work-related,” said Hunter.
“Tt gives them such a balanced life-
style, because I really think that hav-
ing an activity outside of work is really
healthy for people, whether it is an inter-
est, hobby or something they compete in
outside of work.”
This year’s Corporate Challenge runs
May 26 - June 10 at various venues in
Edmonton and surrounding area. &
syndrome.
“The idea is that you make a column
through which you pass a patient’s blood,
remove the antibodies and then return the
Dr. David Bundle has snagged the Humbolt Award for his work deciphering a rare disease called Guillain-Barre
blood to the patient. It was quite the suc-
cessful meeting - we've identified some
preliminary research on how to do this.” @
University of Alberta
Communications
and Technology
Symposium 2006
Connected Learning
Search
ecture
University of Alberta 9) folio May 12, 2006
Poster Sessic
ve
i. Terry Anderson,
4
payddng
Saplings sprout on campus
Study will use genomics tools to examine how trees sleep
By Caitlin Crawshaw
ore than 1,300 white spruce saplings
from Quebec were delivered to the
University of Alberta’s Department of growth trees experience during summer and it also
Biological Sciences loading dock earlier this = ——______________
month for a study that will use genomics _ determines how well they'll be able to withstand
tools to better understand how trees sleep. 7,
“We're trying to understand how trees the winter:
go dormant,” said U of A plant physiolo- — Dr. Janice Cooke
gist Dr. Janice Cooke, whose study is part
of a large-scale project funded by Genome
“When (trees) go dormant determines how much
Canada, in partnership with the Alberta including microarrays, a type of gene chip
Research Council. which can analyze tissue samples and show
“When they go dormant determines the expression of thousands of genes simul-
how much growth trees experience during taneously, “which allows us to ask questions
summer and it also determines how well not just of one gene, but thousands.”
they'll be able to withstand the winter.” Cooke explained that her work has
For the next eight to 11 weeks, Cooke benefits for both forestry science and indus-
and her team take tissue samples from the —#Y- The diagnostic markers she’s develop-
1,332 white spruce trees. After that, Cooke Ing, for MSTaNee, will help foresters make
will keep the trees under tightly controlled informed choices in their breeding program.
conditions for the next three years while “We can use these same markers to
she studies the genes that control seasonal decide whether trees are well-adapted to
dormancy. their environment,” she said, adding that
White spruce trees are the most econom- these tools will specifically help scientists
ically valuable trees, and can be found all in understanding how trees are affected by
over Canada. “In terms of ecosystem integ- climate change.
rity, they’re a key species,” Cooke said. ats all about understanding how trees
The study will use genomics tools grow. @
The back pain battle
Researchers will study new back pain campaign
By Caitlin Crawshaw
a. i a ia
Dr. Janice Cooke logs one of the 1,300 white spruce saplings that she'll be studying.
lympic gold medalist Catriona LeMay after a particularly hard training session. called Back pain: Don’t take it lying down. __ traditional prescription for back pain - can
Doan has spent a lifetime training her When she awoke the next morning, the With much mental and physical work, actually worsen the condition and lead to
body to move at lightning-quick speed, pain rendered movement almost impos- Doan overcame her back pain and contin- disability, as well as lost work hours.
and the former speed skater is no stranger sible — an experience she found humbling. ued her illustrious career. Now that she’s Russell and his colleague Dr. Doug
to lower back pain. “Many athletes, I realized, struggle retired, the two-time gold medalist still suf- Gross are collaborating with an interna-
With many years of training anda gold _ with pain and back pain throughout their fers from back pain, but won’t stop doing tional team that will assess the impact of
medal behind her, Doan recalled being careers,” said Doan, who spoke on May 2 the things she loves — like chasing after her —_ the campaign on the public.
struck with an unexpected new challenge at the launch a new education campaign two-year old. “We're studying beliefs and attitudes
“None of our lives stand still. Back people have about back pain and seeing if
pain affects 80 per cent of people, but we it changes before and after the campaign,”
do have a choice,” she said. “At times I get said Gross. “We're also studying whether it
lazy and don’t do my little exercises, andI _has an affect on disability.”
pay for it.” Gross added that the causes of and
im = { ’ The new campaign is a partner- cures for back pain continue to mystify
age B ¥ ship between a number of community researchers after decades of research and
{ n p u t fro mt h e Co mmun ity organizations, including the Worker’s despite technological advances that make
Compensation Board and the U of A, life easier.
and it aims to educate the public about “Back pain and disability from back
the importance of being physically active pain has actually increased as our work-
search for Vice-President (Research) is currently underway. Dr. Gary Kachanoski, despite back pain. load has decreased.”
Vice-President (Research), has advised President Indira Samarasekera that he will “We have a long-standing belief that The U of A is at the forefront of back
oe. : = oe =] pain equals harm,” explained Dr. Tony pain research and launched the mullti-
conclude his current term in that position effective June 30, 2007. In consultation Russell, a U of A expert in illness behav- disciplinary Common Spinal Disorders
with the Chair of the Board of Governors, Mr. Jim Edwards, President Samarasekera iour. Research Centre earlier this year, under
has therefore asked for the establishment of an Advisory Search Committee to advise He stressed that it’s important for the direction of Dr. Michele Crites-Battie,
? : : people to work through the pain and main- Canada Research Chair in common spinal
On the selection of a Vice-President (Research). tain an active lifestyle since bed rest - the disorders. @
GFC and Board policy provides that members of the University community have an
opportunity to contribute to the search process, Individuals are welcome to express
their views on the priorities of Vice-President (Research); including current issues,
leadership, and the future direction of the Office of Vice-President (Research). An
anonymized summary of the feedback will be provided to the Advisory Search
Committee during the search process. The Committee invites you to submit your
comments and/or suggestions, in confidence, by 4:30 pm, June 2, 2006 to:
prety Auoy
President Indira Samarasekera
c/o Marcia Lang, Secretary to the Advisory Search Committee
3-1 University Hall
University of Alberta, T6G 2J9
phone: (780) 492-4383
email: marcia.lang@ualberta.ca
fax: (780) 492-9265
Please note that the membership of the Advisory Search Committee will
be confirmed by May 15, 2006 and posted on the President's website at
www.president.ualberta.ca.
Olympic speed skater Catriona LeMay Doan has battled back pain throughout her athletic career.
University of Alberta 10) folia May 12, 2006 ,
tal
vent
Submit talks and events to Lorraine Neumayer by 12 p.m. Thursday one week prior to publication. Folio Talks and Events listings do not accept submissions via fax, mail, e-mail or phone. Please enter events you‘d like to appear in
Folio and on ExpressNews at: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/events/submit.cfm. A more comprehensive list of events is available online at www.events.ualberta.ca .
UNTIL NOV 30 2006
MAY 13 - 14 2006
2006 Annual Conference of the Canadian
Society for Bioengineering Annual Conference of
the Canadian Society for Bioengineering, on July
16-19th, 2006, in Edmonton, Alberta. The theme
of the conference is “Seeing | to | - Integrity and
Integration in Bioengineering.” Fantasyland Hotel
and Conference Centre, West Edmonton Mall,
Edmonton, AB. http://www.bioeng.ca/Events/
Edm2006/index.htm
UNTIL MAY 20 2006
Corporate Challenge Blood Donor Challenge
Call 1-888-2-DONATE. Donate whole blood, plasma
or platelets as a member of the U of A Corporate
Challenge Team. Encourage friends and family to
donate, too! Blood Services. http://www.uofaweb.
ualberta.ca/challenge/blood_donor.cfm
UNTIL MAY 12 2006
Canadian Centre for Research on
Literacy (CCRL): Plan now to Attend the Third
International Conference on Speech, Writing
and Context August 16 to 18 Dr. Linda M.
Phillips, Canadian Centre for Research on Literacy,
University of Alberta and Dr. David R. Olson,
OISE/University of Toronto invite you to attend.
Includes 46 sessions given by speakers from around
the world on topics along four strands: relations
between early language and literacy, language/
culture and second language learning, assess-
ment, and new technologies and pedagogies for
language learning. For more information please
visit the Canadian Centre for Research on Literacy
(CCRL) and click on ICSWC3 in the navigation panel
to the right, email: icswc3@ualberta.ca or tele-
phone Josie at 780-492-4250. Early bird registration
ends May 30.
MAY 12 2006
Joint Grand Rounds: Patient Safety Dr.
Bob Runciman: How do we measure outcomes in
patient safety? 7:15 - 8 a.m. Clinical Sciences 2-117.
Student response systems: How to use them
and how to evaluate them Student response
systems go by many names: clickers; classroom
voting systems; personal response systems, and
more. In this session we will share strategies and
tactics for a) different strategies and tips for using
SRSs to improve learning, b) appropriate strategies
for assessing such innovations — how can you tell
whether it’s working? What evidence could help
you improve chances for success? Information
about the presenter, Dr. Steve Ehrmann, is online
at: http://www.tltgroup.org/about/ehrmann.html.
9 - 10:30 a.m. Classroom 219, TELUS Centre for
Professional Development. http://utsregistration.
ualberta.ca/viewCalendar.jsp
Canadian Space Agency Lecture Dr. David
Kendall, Director General, Space Science, Canadian
Space Agency, will give a presentation entitled
“Advance Knowledge Through Science: Canada’s
Accomplishments and Vision For Space Science.” 11
a.m. - 12 p.m. Earth Science Building 3-27.
Curriculum & Pedagogy Institute Seminar
Series: Discourse Analysis Dr David Pimm,
Professor of Mathematics Education, Dept of
Secondary Education: “Issues of Form and Content
in Discourse Analysis.” 2 - 3:30 p.m. 122 Education
South. http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/cpin/upcom-
ing.htm
Curriculum & Pedagogy Institute Seminar:
Discourse Analysis Curriculum and Pedagogy
Institute Seminar series presents: Issues of Form
and Content in Discourse Analysis Presenter: Dr
David Pimm (Professor of Mathematics Education)
Department of Secondary Education All are
welcome! Refreshments will be provided. 2:00
p.m. 122 Education South Education Centre.
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/education//pdfs/
CPinWinter2006rev.pdf
MAY 13 2006
In Search of Identity, Longing for Homeland:
Research Meeting to Unveil a four-Year Study
on African Women Immigrants a four-year SSHRC
funded research on African women in Alberta will
be unveiled to community leaders and immigrant
serving agencies at the University of Alberta. The
first of its kind, in scope and focus, the study has
come up with a rich data bank for those who pro-
vide services to this immigrant group as well as
researchers in the field. Dr. Phil Okeke, an associate
professor in the Women’s Studies Program of the
U of Aand the principal investigator in the study,
hopes that discussions of the findings among invit-
ed delegates would also point to future research
directions. 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Lister Hall, Conference
Complex.
CPI Bioinformatics for Proteomics Tutorial
Over the course of two days, students will learn a
wide variety of topics and subjects including: pro-
tein feature identification, proteome annotation,
webtools for proteomics, mass spectrometry and
proteomics, Mascot and mass spectrometry, pro-
tein interactions and interaction databases, systems
biology and chemical biology, and cellular simula-
tion. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Room 2-19, Computing Science
Centre, University of Alberta. http://cpicanada.
org/index.php?tutorials
MAY 14 2006
Mother's Day Tea Come and enjoy a delec-
table selection of teas, scones and strawberry short-
cake, with your mother. Make sure that you also
make time to take a stroll through the Garden to
see what is blooming! It is her day - make sure that
you spoil her! Regular admission rates apply. There
is a cost of $5.00 per person for the tea, which is
payable at the Buttercup Bristo (Patio Concession).
There is limited space available, please register
by calling (780) 987-0362. 2 - 3:30 p.m. Devonian
Botanic Garden (5 km north of the Town of Devon
on Hw. 60). http://www.discoveredmonton.com/
devonian
MAY 15 2006
2005-2006 Reuben Benjamin Sandin Lecture
Series - 3 Lectures 2005-2006 Reuben Benjamin
Sandin Lecture Series Lecture 1: De Novo Protein
Design. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. E1-60 Chemistry East.
Department Seminar Dr. Elizabeth Edwards,
Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied
Chemistry, University of Toronto, will present a
seminar entitled “Anaerobic microbial transforma-
tion of groundwater pollutants: from genomes to
solutions.” Hosted by Dr. Phillip Fedorak. 11 a.m.
- 12 p.m. M 145 Biological Sciences Building. http://
www. biology.ualberta.ca/news_events/
EG King Lecture The Department of Medicine
is extremely pleased to announce that Senator
Michael Kirby will deliver the EG King Lecture on
May 15th. The title of his talk is “The Future Shape
of Canada’s Health Care System.” All are welcome
to attend. 5 - 6 p.m. Bernard Snell Hall. http://www.
departmentofmedicine.ualberta.ca
MAY 16 2006
2005--2006 Reuben Benjamin Sandin
Lecture Series - 3 Lectures 2005--2006 Reuben
Benjamin Sandin Lecture Series Lecture 2: Design
of mimics of alpha-helices. 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. E1-60
Chemistry East.
The Cell Biology Students’ Association
Presents: 2006 NEB Cell Biology Distinguished
Speaker Lecture Series Dr. Gary M. Bokoch
Professor, Department of Immunology and
Department of Cell Biology The Scripps Research
Institute, La Jolla, CA Title of Talk: GEF-H1, a micro-
tubule-linked Rho GEF regulating cell division and
motility” RECEPTION to follow in SUB Alumni Room.
4-5 p.m. Engineering Teaching and Learning
Complex (ETLC) E1-003. http://www.ualberta.ca/
cellbiology
MAY 17 - MAY 18 2006
2006 Canadian Blackboard Conference The
Canadian Blackboard Community (CBbC) is made
up of teachers, learners and technology profession-
als devoted to finding ways to enhance education
through the use of the Blackboard Academic Suite.
The 2006 Canadian Blackboard Conference will
focus on the recent merger between Blackboard
and WebCT and future direction. We are pleased to
welcome Todd Gibby, VP Operations (Blackboard)
and Peter Segall, VP Education Strategy (WebCT) to
deliver our key note address. If you are an adminis-
trator or user of WebCT we invite you to the CBbC
conference to help us merge ideas to enhance
education. Fostering and sustaining community is
a vital component to making advances in the area
of eLearning and for delivering quality in the edu-
cational experience. 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. University of
Alberta, School of Business, Stollery Centre. http://
www.bbconference.ca
MAY 17 2006
2005-2006 Reuben Benjamin Sandin
Lecture Series - 3 Lectures 2005-2006 Reuben
Benjamin Sandin Lecture Series Lecture 3: Analysis,
Prediction, and Design of Membrane Proteins. 11
a.m. - 12 p.m. E1-60 Chemistry East.
Lunch and Learn: Flowerbed Planting
Layout & Design Ideas Whether you are car-
ing for a bed at the university or preparing your
garden at home, gardening is a great way to be
active. Discover techniques for preparing your
flowerbed(s) and get ideas for the layout and
design of your flowerbed(s). 12 - 1 p.m. CAB 229.
http://www.learningshop.ualberta.ca/welcome.jsp
PHS Grand Rounds Guest Speaker: Dr John
F P Bridges, Assistant Professor, Department of
Health Policy & Management, Johns Hopkins
Broomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MA,
USA “Who Cares about the Patient's Point of View
Anyway: A German Perspective.” 12 - 1 p.m. Room
2-117, Clinical Sciences Building. http://www.phs.
ualberta.ca.
Daring to Will the Future: Introducing
the City-Region Studies Centre This forum will
explore ways in which the university, civic agencies,
and community groups can facilitate further col-
laboration through the creation of the City-Region
Studies Centre. It is anticipated that a variety of
core research themes will emerge through the
multi-disciplinary presentations and discussion
on the current state and future needs of our
urban regions. RSVP required. 2 - 6 p.m. University
Extension Centre, 8303 - 112 St., Room 3-40.
Education in Post-Apartheid South
Africa: A commitment to Service Learning The
Department of Occupational Therapy presents
guest Auldeen Alsop, Professor and Director of the
School of Occupational Therapy at Sheffield Hallam
University in the United Kingdom. Dr. Alsop will
provide an overview of personal experiences in
South Africa, discuss the concept of civic respon-
sibility and community engagement and describe
educational strategies to support students in ser-
vice learning, including educational experiences
such as commonwealth fellowships. 2 p.m. Corbett
Hall Room 2-07.
Engineering Generations Reception Join Dr.
David Lynch as he unveils the new Engineering
Generations wall which will highlight the many
families who have multiple U of A Engineering
graduates. This celebration is by invitation only
for the more than 160 families, and more than
470 individuals whose names will appear on
the Engineering Generations wall. 7 - 9:15 p.m.
Solarium Engineering Teaching and Learning
Complex (ETLC). http://www.engineering.ualberta.
ca/alumni
MAY 18 2006
Investment in an Open Economy: Aggregate
and Sector Level Estimates, and an Application
to Comparative Investment Rates in Canada and
the US. Institute for United States Policy Studies/
Department of Economics Joint Workshop. For
more information, contact Dr. Constance Smith at
constance.smith@ualberta.ca
Department of Medicine Research Day
The Department of Medicine will hold the 2006
Research Day in the Tiered Classroom at the
Telus Centre. Special guest adjudicator will be Dr
Alexander Sorisky from the Ottawa Health Research
Institute. Oral presentations take place from 8 a.m.
- 4 p.m. Posters will be on display in the foyer and
will be adjudicated from 11 a.m. -1 p.m. 8 a.m. - 4
p.m. Telus Centre. http://www.departmentofmedi-
cine.ualberta.ca
Micralyne: Nanotechnology in Action
Come tour the U of A spin-off company which
has become a world leader in the development of
miniature devices (MEMS) used in telecommunica-
tions, auto manufacturing and biotechnology. See
how these lab-on-a-chip devices are designed and
manufactured in class-ten clean rooms! 10 - 11:30
a.m. Meet on campus and travel to Micralyne as a
group (campus location to be determined). http://
www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/alumnieducation/nav01.
cfm?nav01=45615
School-based obesity prevention: A blue-
print for change You are cordially invited to
attend a presentation by Tom Baranowski PhD,
a leading scholar in behavioural nutrition in chil-
dren. Dr. Baranowski is a professor of pediatrics
and leader of the Behavioral Nutrition group with
the USDA-funded Children’s Nutrition Research
Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of
Medicine, Houston. The talk is jointly sponsored by
the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation
and the Alberta Centre for Active Living. 10 -
11:30 a.m. E120 Van Vliet Physical Education and
Recreation Centre. www.physedandrec.ualberta.ca
Nursing Rounds Dr. Jo Lamba: Ethno-cultural
differences in leaving home: Delayed, emerging, or
normal adulthood. Nuring Rounds is a weekly event
in the Faculty of Nursing. All faculty, students and
clinicians are invited. Bring your lunch. 12 - 12:45
p.m. Clinical Sciences 6-107. http://www.nursing.
ualberta.ca/homepage.nsf/website/nursing+rounds
Europeanization or Balkanization:
Montenegrin Referendum, Serbia, and the
Future of the Western Balkans Discussion of
the upcoming referendum on independence in
Montenegro, and the dynamics of European inte-
grations of the Western Balkans. 3 - 5 p.m. Senate
Chamber, Old Arts Building. University of Alberta.
MAY 18 - 27 2006
Studio Theatre presents One Flea Spare
by Naomi Wallace Set in a virtually bare London
room, One Flea Spare sharply focuses on the natu-
ral forces induced by the Great Plague upon the
human constructs of power, class and gender. The
Snelgraves, an upper class couple are about to be
released from a month-long quarantine period, but
are imprisoned once again when two uninvited
visitors, Bunce a sailor and Morse, a surreal all-
knowing girl of 12 years old, burst into their home
and their lives. Advance tickets available through
TIX on the Square 420.1757 or online at www.
tixonthesquare.ca . Walk-up tickets available at the
Timms Centre Box Office one hour prior to curtain,
for that day's performance only. No performance
Sunday, May 21, 2006. 8 p.m. Timms Centre for the
Arts. http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/drama/stu-
diotheatre.cfm
MAY 19 - 22 2006
Get Growing Plant Sale Select from a wide
variety of hardy perennials, annuals and native
plants. Most seeds are collected from the garden's
numerous plant collections and are grown by vol-
unteers. If available, cacti and succulents will also
be for sale. Proceeds from the sale contribute to the
operation of the garden. Contact visitor services
(780) 987-3054 for further information. 10 a.m. - 4
p.m. Devonian Botanic Garden (5 km north of the
Town of Devon on Hwy. 60). http://www.discov-
eredmonton.com/devonian
MAY 19 2006
Communications and Technology Research
Symposium 2006 Join us for the fourth annual
communications and technology symposium.
Research Poster Session (Refreshments will be
served) 1 - 2:30 p.m.; Distinguished Lecturer
Dr. Terry Anderson (Professor and Canada
Research Chair in Distance Education, Athabasca
University) will speak on “Connected Learning:
How Networked Technologies Change the Way
We Learn” at 2:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
Registration is not required. 1 - 4:30 p.m. Telus
Centre. http://www.extension.ualberta.ca/mact/
Get advance notice of Folio stories on the Web...
An e-mail message will be sent to you on the publication
date, before the paper edition is distributed.
Subscribe at: www.ualberta.ca/folio/
University of Alberta @ folio May 12, 2006
Edmonton Tourism, Shaw Conference Centre and
Conference Services at the University of Alberta
invite you to encourage your peers and colleagues
from around the world to bring their conferences to
Edmonton. Introduce these
people to the work you do
and the place you live while
helping them enjoya
conference that exceeds
their expectations.
Whatever you do and
wherever you work
within the University of
Alberta, become a partner
in Edmonton’s tourism
team by introducing us toa
conference we can bring
home to Edmonton.
www.bring-them-home.ca
on phone: (780) 917-7647
‘Not up to the Job?’ Women’s Resignation
and Reshuffles from the Blair Cabinet
Presentation by Dr. Sarah Childs, University of
Bristol on newspaper coverage of the women who
have resigned from, or been shuffled out of, the
Blair cabinet. 2 - 3:45 p.m. Business 4-5
MAY 23, 2006
President's Breakfast Roundtable with
Faculty President Indira Samarasekera invites fac-
ulty to participate in a breakfast roundtable discus-
sion focused on issues and challenges our faculty
face, as well as coming up with bright and creative
ideas for enriching the academic experience. Space
is limited, so please register early by contacting
Jackie Wright. 7:30 * 8:30 a.m.
MAY 24 2006
Professional Presence Your personal image
and the ability to network and communicate effec-
tively can boost your profile and engender stronger
alliances and connections for mutual benefit. This
session will provide you with some simple strate-
gies to create a commanding first impression, build
rapport with others through your professional pres-
ences and verbal and non-verbal communication.
8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 4-02 SUB. http://sldregistration.
ualberta.ca/displayCourse.jsp?courseid=1408
Professional Presence Cost: $395 Course fee
includes all instruction, all materials, refreshments,
&lunch. Your personal image and the ability to
network and communicate effectively can boost
your profile and engender stronger alliances and
connections for mutual benefit. This session will
enhance both your personal and professional life
by providing you with some simple strategies to
create a commanding first impression, build rap-
port with others through verbal and non-verbal
communication, overcome shyness in yourself and
others, engage in small talk and take it to big talk,
smoothly enter and exit conversations to build suc-
cessful relationships and dine with finesse. Register
at www.learningshop.ualberta.ca. 8:30 a.m. - 4:30
p.m. 4-02 SUB. http://sldregistration.ualberta.ca/dis-
playCourse,jsp?courseid=1408
APO Committee AGM APO Committee of the
AAS:UA Annual General Meeting 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Council Chambers University Hall .
Applying for SSHRC Standard Research
Grants This workshop may not unlock the Secret
to the Universe but it will help you to understand
more about the secrets of applying for SSHRC
Standard Research Grants. Members of the SSHRC
Adjudication Committees will offer practical tips on
how to develop or refine the key components of
your SSHRC Standard Grant application. If you're a
first time applicant, this is a great place to start. This
workshop is open to all researchers on campus.
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 122 Education Centre. http://
rsoregistration.ualberta.ca/viewCalendar.jsp
Meeting Professionals International ( MPI)
- Luncheon LIGHTS...CAMERA...ACTION...It’s our
time to shine ! MPI Edmonton Chapter is delighted
to showcase the University of Alberta and invite
you to bring a fellow meeting planner to this
informative luncheon. If you are planning a special
event, graduation, convention/conference or just
a meeting...you must attend! Two hours filled with
great ideas to help you get started. Come early
and reap the benefits of networking opportunities.
Luncheon Guest Speaker: Martin Sawdon Lunch,
door prizes and fun included in admission. Bring a
friend or colleague and enter to win! To purchase
a ticket, please contact: MPI by email: cheryl@
pivotalevents.ca 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. U of Alberta
Conference Centre- Maple Leaf Room - Lister
Centre. http://mpiweb.org
Lunch and Learn: Campus Recreation
Programs Learn about the amazing fitness facilities
and multitude of health, physical fitness and rec-
reation opportunities right here on campus. There
is no time better than the present to get active! 12
p.m. - 1 p.m. CAB 229. http://www.learningshop.
ualberta.ca/welcome,jsp
PHS Grand Rounds Dr Glenn Griener,
Associate Professor, Department of Public Health
Sciences and Department of Philosophy; John
Dossetor Health Ethics Centre “Privacy, Paranoia,
Pandemics & Public Enemies” 12 - 1 p.m. Room
2-117, Clinical Sciences Building. http://www.phs.
ualberta.ca
Calgary Regional Alumni and Friends
Reception Join other Calgary-area University of
Alberta Engineering alumni and friends of the
Faculty as we pay tribute to all of you who carry on
the great tradition of the U of A Engineer. 5 - 7:30
p.m. Sheraton Suites Calgary Eau Claire. http://
www.engineering.ualberta.ca/alumni
MAY 25 - 26 2006
Tobacco Reduction Together: Linking
Research, Policy and Practice Tobacco reduction
is a dynamic and evolving field. Staying on top of
new knowledge and working together will help
us achieve positive results in tobacco reduction.
This two-day symposium and celebration offers an
University ‘of Alberta Q@ folio May 12, 2006
opportunity to share ideas, knowledge, and suc-
cesses and to build partnerships among tobacco
reduction stakeholders. 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Westin
Hotel Edmonton. http://www.chps.ualberta.ca/trt.
html
MAY 25 2006
Nursing Rounds Dr. Priscilla Koop: Family care
giving at the end of life. Nursing Rounds is a weekly
event in the Faculty of Nursing. All faculty, students
and clinicians are invited. Bring your lunch. 12
- 12:45 p.m. Clinical Sciences 6-107. http://www.
nursing.ualberta.ca/homepage.nsf/website/
nursing+rounds
Alberta Centre for Active Living
Presentation Day Find out about the centre's
work in producing and distributing physical activ-
ity information to over 17,000 practitioners. The
centre also provides physical activity information
for the Government of Alberta’s Healthy U web
site, produces the Alberta Survey on Physical
Activity, carries out nationally and internationally
recognized research, and works on a wide variety of
other projects, including a home-based healthy liv-
ing program for First Nations seniors. 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Maple Leaf Room, University of Alberta Conference
Centre (Lister Hall, 87 Ave. and 116 St.). http://www.
centre4activeliving.ca
Curriculum & Pedagogy Institute
Seminar: Discourse Analysis Curriculum and
Pedagogy Institute Seminar Series presents:
Discourse Analysis of Textbooks (a mini-sym-
posium) Presenters: Dr. David Pimm (Professor
of Mathematics Education); Department of
Secondary Education Dr. Irene Meglis (PhD stu-
dent); Department of Secondary Education Julie
Long (PhD candidate); Department of Elementary
Education. All are welcome! Refreshments will be
provided. 2 p.m. 122 Education South Education
Centre. http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/educa-
tion//pdfs/CPInWinter2006rev.pdf
MAY 27 2006
Saturday Walk with a Garden Horticulturist
(Alpine) Meet at the Shop-In-The-Garden at
noon and tour the Alpine Garden and adjoining
native plant areas, both in full bloom at this time.
Horticulturist Linda Hewlett will guide the tour
and provide answers to all your questions! Regular
admission rates apply. Phone (780) 987-2064 to
book your spot and to enjoy a spring walk! 12 - 2
p.m. Devonian Botanic Garden (5 km north of the
Town of Devon on Hwy. 60). http://www.discov-
eredmonton.com/devonian
EFS SPRING EQUITY SEMINAR: DR. ROBERT
BERMAN ON ESL On the occasion of his leaving
the U of A, Dr. Berman will reflect on the challenges
facing ESL students, consider shared goals and
emerging priorities in ESL, and discuss prospects
for dialogue with EFS and the wider university. He
will be joined by acting co-directors Mimi Hui and
Ruth Jordan. 3 - 4 p.m. HC L-3.
MAY 28 2006
Sunday Family Nature Walk (Spring) Come
and take a leisurely walk along the Bobby Dyde
Nature Trail (2.5 km) with a guide who is familiar
with the wildlife and vegetation along the way. This
walk is geared to people of all ages and promises
to be a most enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.
Come and enjoy the beauty of the season with
us! This event is free of charge, regular admission
rates apply, however there is limited space. Please
register by calling (780) 987-0362. 1:30 - 3 p.m.
Devonian Botanic Garden (5 km north of the Town
of Devon on Hwy. 60). http://www.discoveredmon-
ton.com/devonian
MAY 30 2006
25th Anniversary Celebration of the
Engineering Co-op Program Join this anniversary
celebration of the 25 years of Co-op. This event
will bring together people who have experienced
the benefits of Co-op as students and employers
and will provide an opportunity to reconnect. 4:00
p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Solarium Engineering Teaching and
Learning Complex (ETLC) . http://www.engineering.
ualberta.ca/alumni
25th Anniversary Celebration of the
Engineering Co-op Program Join this anniversary
celebration of the 25 years of co-op. This event
will bring together people who have experienced
the benefits of co-op as students and employers
and will provide an opportunity to reconnect. 4 - 7
p.m. Solarium, Engineering Teaching and Learning
Complex (ETLC). http://www.engineering.ualberta.
ca/alumni
MAY 31 2006
PHS Grand Rounds Guest Speaker: Dr. Wadieh
Yacoub, Medical Officer of Health, Alberta Region,
Health Canada; Director, Health Protection, First
Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Alberta Region,
Health Canada; Adjunct Assistant Professor,
Department of Public Health Sciences. “First Nations’
Health in Alberta.” 12 - 1 p.m. Room 2-117, Clinical
Sciences Building. http://www.phs.ualberta.ca
Young Alumni Financial Education Seminar
Series - Calgary (1 of 2) Take this opportunity to
expand your knowledge of personal finances. May
31, 2006. Get ahead financially. Join financial expert
and author Jim Yih, for a discussion of personal
financial planning, financial fitness, and tax plan-
ning strategies. 6 - 8 p.m. 3rd Floor Meeting Room
333 5th Ave SW Calgary. http://www.uofaweb.ual-
berta.ca/alumnieducation/
JUN 1 2006
Research Administrators’ Workshop Series
Join RSO and University central administrative staff
at this day-long series of workshops about research
administration. More details about how to register
for individual sessions will follow shortly. Mark your
calendar today and check back to register for your
preferred sessions. 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Education Centre.
Young Alumni Financial Education Seminar
Series - Calgary (2 of 2) Take this opportunity
to expand your knowledge of personal finances.
Investment Planning and Wealth Accumulation
Receive detailed information on mutual funds,
the stock and bond markets, and alternatives to
traditional investment methods. Pre-registration is
required (This is the second of two seminars, please
visit our website for full details) 6 - 8 p.m. 3rd Floor
Meeting Room, 333 5th Ave SW Calgary, Alberta.
http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/alumnieducation/
Fort McMurray Regional Alumni and
Friends Reception Join other Fort McMurray-
area University of Alberta Engineering alumni
and friends of the Faculty as we pay tribute to all
of you who carry on the great tradition of the U
of A Engineer. 7 - 9 p.m. The Sawridge Inn and
Conference Centre 530 MacKenzie Boulevard Fort
McMurray, AB. Timberline Room. http://www.engi-
neering.ualberta.ca/alumni
Quirks and Quarks CBC Radio broadcast
from Edmonton Quirks and Quarks, Canada’s pre-
mier radio science show, will host its once-a-year
taped-live broadcast on the University of Alberta
campus. Admission is free. The Timms Centre’s
capacity is 300 so come early to reserve your seat.
7:30 - 9 p.m. Timms Centre for the Arts. http://radio.
cbc.ca/programs/quirks/
JUN 2 - JUN 4 2006
Chigiri-e (10th annual show & demo) Joan
King invites you to experience her world of Chigire-
e. Exotic and unique pictures are created using
torn, imported Japanese paper. This is truly an
extraordinary art form! On-going demonstrations
are in the classroom area. Regular admission rates
apply. Contact Visitor Services (780) 987-3054 for
further information. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Devonian
Botanic Garden (5KM north of the Town of Devon
on Hwy. 60). http://www.discoveredmonton.com/
devonian
The records arising from this competition will be managed in accordance with provisions of the Alberta Freedom
of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP). The University of Alberta hires on the basis of merit. We are com-
mitted to the principle of equity of employment. We welcome diversity and encourage applications from all qualified
women and men, including persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and Aboriginal persons. With
regard to teaching positions: All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent
residents will be given priority. For complete U of A job listings visit www.hrs.ualberta.ca .
CHAIR
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN ECOLOGY
The Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home
Economics at the University of Alberta invites
applications for the position of Chair, Department
of Human Ecology. Located in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada, the University of Alberta is recognized
nationally and internationally for educational and
research pre-eminence, offering a very broad range
of outstanding programs through a comprehen-
sive set of faculties and schools. The University
of Alberta is one of Canada’s premier teaching
and research intensive universities serving more
than 35,500 students with some 8,000 faculty and
staff. For more information about the University of
Alberta go to www.ualberta.ca.
The Department of Human Ecology is home to
12 full-time faculty members who conduct research
on aging, parent-child relationships, vulnerable
youth and families, protective clothing, material
culture and design and aesthetics. Faculty mem-
bers hold more than $15 million in research fund-
ing, either individually or collaboratively with other
researchers. With an annual operating budget of
approximately $1.7 million, this student-centred,
research intensive department offers Masters and
PhD programs in Family Ecology and Practice;
Human Ecology and Aging; and Textiles and
Clothing. Undergraduate degrees are offered with
majors in Family Ecology and Textiles & Clothing.
The department is home to a state-of-the-art pro-
tective clothing and equipment research facility,
textile and apparel research laboratories, design
studios, a social sciences research suite (including
focus group, and parent-child observation labora-
tories), and a world-renowned clothing and textile
collection that supports teaching and research. The
department is one of four in the faculty and has
close linkages and productive collaborations with
other units on campus, particularly Arts, Education,
the Health Sciences faculties, and Engineering.
Additional information about the faculty and the
department is available at www.afhe.ualberta.ca .
The department seeks a chair committed to
securing additional resources to support continued
growth and excellence in teaching and research.
The successful candidate will have an understand-
ing of the human ecosystem perspective and will
appreciate and support the diversity of scholarship
in the department that ranges across the physical
sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts.
The chair will bring vision, inspired leadership,
strong strategic planning skills, and organizational
and management skills. The chair will be a team
builder and have a supportive and open admin-
istrative style. The successful candidate will have
a doctorate and a strong research program of
international renown in an area complementing
or related to the department's areas of research
strength. The successful candidate also will have a
superior record of teaching and graduate student
supervision.
Applications, including a curriculum vitae, the
names of three references, and a two-page vision
statement for this position, may be sent to:
Dr. John Kennelly, Dean
Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry, and Home
Economics
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2P5
Review of applications will commence in May
2006; however, the competition will remain open
until the position is filled. The start date is nego-
tiable.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW IN
LABORATORY MEDICINE &
PATHOLOGY
FACULTY OF MEDICINE & DENTISTRY
The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the
University of Alberta invites applications for a
Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory Medicine
and Pathology Laboratory (start date to be June
1, 2006). The appointment will be for a two-year
period.
The successful application will possess a PhD
in an area related to genetics, molecular biology or
biochemistry.
This individual will participate in projects that
are both basic and translational research in nature
in the area of Breast and Prostate Cancer Genetics
and will involve:
Identification of associations in gene polymor-
phisms / loci in case-control DNA samples, elu-
cidation of genetic, molecular and biochemical
mechanisms underlying breast and prostate
cancers.
Provide guidance for students and technolo-
gists ‘
+ Some supervisory responsibilities
+ Workin a team environment
Generate and test hypotheses
Requirements for this position:
+ PhD in genetics, molecular biology or bio-
chemistry and publications in a field relevant
to the required skills
+ Sophisticated expertise and considerable expe-
rience in molecular biology
+ Understanding of the application of statistical
analysis tools to molecular genetics
+ Genotyping using high density Affymetrix
SNP chips and fine mapping of loci using
Pyrosequencing genotyping platform would
be an asset, but not a prerequisite
* Knowledgeable in the application of tech-
niques such as PCR, isolation of genomic DNA,
cell culture, protein purification and immunob-
lotting
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to
work in a team
+ — Capacity for independent pursuit of project
Intellectual curiosity and initiative
For further information about this position,
please contact the Principal Investigator,
Dr. Sambasivarao Damaraju (sambasiv@cancer-
board.ab.ca).
Applicants are encouraged to submit curricu-
lum vitae, brief descriptions of research interests
and the names of three references (including con-
tact information) to:
Femka Williams (femkawil@cancerboard.ab.ca)
Cross Cancer Institute, Room 2244
11560 University Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1Z2
Display advertisements: Camera-ready artwork is required to size, complete with halftones if necessary.
Dr, Catherine Fletcher
and Dr. Vincentia Aung
Welcome U of A employees and their families!
We take the time to find out how you want us to serve you!
Check us out and discover the difference for yourself
Extended hours available
Booking appointments for Dr Aung, June 2006
Dr. Catherine Fletcher, Family Dentist
#980 College Plaza, 8215 112 St.,
Edmonton, AB, Ph: 439-2266
Visit our website at www.fletcherdentist.ab.ca for more details
RE/MAX Real Estate Gentre
~ 20 years as successful residential realtor
specializing in west and southwest Edmonton
~ Consistently in top 6% of Edmonton realtors
- Member of prestigious RE/MAX Platinum Club
~ Member of RE/MAX Hall of Fame
~ Born and raised in Buenos Aires and has lived
in Edmonton since 1967
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
www .anndawrant.com anndawrant@shaw ca (780) 438-/000
Steel and concrete building >
_* Underground parking and storage
_ * Air conditioning throughout +
- ° Maple and Granite Kitchens *
-_* Stainless steel kitchen appliances
~ # Adult (184) Buildinge
Presentation Centre Open
68th Avenue & 111th Street
Monday through Thursday, 2 pm - 6 pm
Saturday and Sunday, 1 pm - 5 pm
Call Karey Lear ¢ Karey Lear Realty Ltd.
975-8866
www.abbeylanehomes.com
University of Alberta ® folio May 12, 2006
FACULTY OF ARTS AWARDS
2006
Learning from the Best
CONGRATULATIONS
to the following outstanding teachers, researchers, and
administrative staff members in the Faculty of Arts:
2006 RUTHERFORD
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
IN UNDERGRADUATE
TEACHING
John-Paul Himka, Professor,
History & Classics
2006 WILLIAM HARDY
ALEXANDER AWARDS FOR
EXCELLENCE IN SESSIONAL
TEACHING
Janet Wesselius, Professor, Philosophy
Philip Mingay, Professor,
English & Film Studies
TEACHING UNIT AWARD ___
Printmaking Division, Art & Design
UNDERGRADUATE
TEACHING AWARDS ___
John-Paul Himka, History & Classics
Susan Smith, History & Classics
Harold Wiens, Music
SESSIONAL INSTRUCTOR
TEACHING AWARDS _
Philip Mingay, English & Film Studies
Janet Wesselius, Philosophy
Colin Winslow, Drama
GRADUATE STUDENT
TEACHING AWARDS ____
Laura Davis, English & Film Studies
James Gifford, English & Film Studies
Christopher Grignard,
English & Film Studies
Katerina Primorac,
Modern Languages & Cultural Studies
Crystal Sannes,
Modern Languages & Cultural Studies
John Simpson, Philosophy
ARTS UNIT TEACHING AWARD
Printmaking Division, Art & Design
OUTSTANDING
ADMINISTRATIVE AWARD __
Kris Calhoun, English & Film Studies
OUTSTANDING STUDENT
SERVICES AWARD _
Charlene Marshall, Sociology
NON-ACADEMIC STAFF AWARD
Lee Ramsdell, Arts Resource Centre
NON-ACADEMIC STAFF AWARD
(ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE)
Donna Maskell, Music
McCALLA RESEARCH
PROFESSORSHIPS
Yasmeen Abu-Laban, Political Science
Allan Carlson, Philosophy
Jane Samson, History & Classics
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE
AWARDS
Michael Dawson, Professor,
Psychology
Sean Caulfield, Associate Professor, Art
& Design
Jerry White, Assistant Professor,
English & Film Studies
ROGER S. SMITH
UNDERGRADUATE
RESEARCHER AWARDS
Christopher Alderson, Political Science
Robert Ballingall, Political Science
Emanuela Bocancea, History &
Classics
Brendan Campbell, Economics
Derwin Cheng, Sociology
Kristina Geeraert, Linguistics
Meena Gupta, Philosophy
Allison Jones, History & Classics
Ryan Lee, History & Classics
Koji Miwa, Linguistics
Matt Schneider, English & Film
Studies
Kaila Simoneau, Anthropology
Danielle Taschereau-Mamers,
Philosophy
Jessica Walker, Native Studies
Stephanie Yan, Psychology
FACULTY OF
G@RTS
This competition will remain open until a suit-
able candidate is identified. All qualified applicants
are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and
permanent residents will be given priority.
BIOSTATISTICAL ANALYST
THE CANADIAN VIGOUR CENTRE,
UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA
The Canadian VIGOUR Center at the University
of Alberta is seeking applications for the post of
a biostatistical analyst. The successful candidate
should be able to work with large administrative and
clinical trial databases and conduct statistical analy-
ses to address clinical issues in consultation and col-
laboration with the centre’s senior researchers. The
candidate must have a Master's degree supplement-
ed by strong training in statistical methods (such
as logistic regression analysis and survival analysis).
The candidate must be familiar with SAS and SPSS
statistical packages and have proficiency in SAS and
other statistical packages. Interested candidates
should send a CV to Padma Kaul, 7226 Aberhart Ctr.1
or email pkaul@ualberta.ca.
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES
AND SERVICES
The University of Alberta Libraries (www.
library.ualberta.ca), Canada’s second largest ARL
library, and one of Canada’s most technologically
advanced research libraries seeks outstanding
candidates for the position of Associate Director,
Information Technology Resources and Services.
The Associate Director will contribute personal
vision and energy to ensuring that the Libraries
form an active part of the University’s aspirations
for regional, national and international recognition.
The incumbent will provide leadership in the vision,
development and management of the Libraries’
next-generation digital services environment and
oversee the Information Technology Resources and
Services Unit, including:
Providing leadership through the identifica-
tion of technology-based applications that sup-
port improvements to library services and staff
productivity and through participation in the
Senior Administrative Team. Effectively planning,
budgeting and allocating resources and imple-
menting technology and applications in support
of the vision, mission and goals of the Libraries,
the Learning Services portfolio and the University.
Supervising the Information Technology Resources
and Services staff, consisting of five librarians
responsible for operations, web development, digi-
tal initiatives, e-resources and licensing; and twenty
technical/support and project staff. Ensuring that
the Libraries’ and Learning Services’ interests are
represented on campus-wide committees and
activities related to technology.
Contributing to the highly collaborative envi-
ronment within the province, the region and the
nation.
The ideal candidate will have an accredited
degree in library science, a minimum of seven years
of progressive experience, including work in library
systems and/or technology, and a successful track
record of management/supervisory experience. We
expect demonstrated success in facilitating and
managing technology in research libraries and a
strong understanding of technical applications. We
expect a strong communicator with an avid interest
in pursuing new directions in digital library services
and in fostering innovation and team building.
This tenure-track position is classified at the
Librarian 3 level with a current salary range of
$74,754-118,722. Librarians at the University of
Alberta have academic status and participate in a
generous benefits program. Closing date for appli-
cations is April 30, 2006.
To apply, please mail, fax, or e-mail your letter
of application, resumé, and the names and address-
es of three referees to:
Karen Adams
Director of Library Services and Information
Resources
Cameron Library
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2J8
Fax: (780) 492 -8302
Email: karen.adams@ualberta.ca
For complete University of Alberta job listings visit:
www. hrs.ualberta.ca/
LoS ae
SITY OF ALBERTA,
PRING 8 SUMMER
EDMON
“This is a very exciting time for the
y 4
University of Alberta—a time of discovery.
At no other time in history has information
been so abundant, and knowledge so prized.”
Indira V Samarasekera, OC
President and Vice-Chancellor
wn
vi
<)
ed
Wd
= |
vi
(2)
ved
Ww
~_
=
FE erg
heed
co
Se.
development in specialized areas.
_ D Expand your horizons while
_ _ studying abroad.
2 > Fast track your degree with a wide
range of subjects and courses.
|» Apply to take credit courses
through Open Studies by June 30.
Summer Term Classes Begin
Visit www.registrar.ualberta.ca/springsummer
for detailed information or pick up a copy of the
2006 Spring & Summer Studies guide from the
foyer of the Administration Building.
University of Alberta @ folio May 12, 2006
Ads are charged at $0.65 per word. Minimum charge: $6.50. All advertisements must be paid for in full by cash or cheque
at the time of their submission. Bookings may be made by fax, mail or email provided payment is received by mail prior
to the deadline date. Pre-paid accounts can be set up for frequent advertisers. Please call 492-2325 for more information.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR RENT
REAL ESTATE - Buy or Sell, Leases (furnished/
unfurnished). Janet Fraser or Gordon W.R. King.
Telephone: (780) 441-6441, www.gordonwrking-
assoc.com Gordon W.R. King and Associates Real
Estate Corp.
DOWNTOWN - PARK TOWERS, Near Grandin
Station, Bright Spacious One Bedroom With Atrium
And A View Of North Saskatchewan River. Fully
Furnished, Available Immediately, $1500/Mo
Including Utilities. Call Janet Fraser 441-6441
Gordon W.R. King & Assoc. Real Estate Corp. Email
jennfra@interbaun.com.
CLARIDGE HOUSE - Furnished Executive
Spacious 1 Bdrm Condo, 1 Full Bath, In-suite
Laundry. One block from U of A. $1,250/Mo Inc
utilities, Phone and Cable Extra. Call Janet Fraser
441-6441 Gordon W.R. King & Assoc. Real Estate
Corp. Email jennfra@interbaun.com.
HENDERSON ESTATES - Heath Road Executive
2 Storey, 5 Bedroom, Exquisite Finishes, Excellent
Floor Plan, Available June 1, 2006. $2,000/Mo. Call
Janet Fraser for Details 441-6441 Gordon W.R. King
and Assoc. Real Estate Corp. Email jennfra@inter-
baun.com.
RIVERBEND -THE UPLANDS, orgeous executive
condo in prestigious complex, gated community.
Coach home style, 2,000 sq ft on one level, 2 bdrms
+ den and 2 full baths, huge designer kitchen,
formal dining room, large living room wood burn-
ing fireplace. Immediate possession, $1,500/mo
includes all utilities. Call Janet Fraser 441-6441
Gordon W.R. King & Assoc. Real Estate Corp. Email
jennfra@interbaun.com.
RIVERBEND - BRANDER GARDENS ‘The
Hearthstone’ Furnished 3 Bdrm, 2 storey townhouse
, single garage, superb quiet location near river val-
ley & Fort Edmonton. $1500/Mo includes all utilities.
Available September 1/06 until April 1/07. Call Janet
Fraser 441-6441 Gordon W.R. King & Assoc. Real
Estate Corp. Email jennfra@interbaun.com.
ROYAL GARDENS - CLASSY FURNISHED
BUNGALOW, 3 Bedrm On main, substantially
upgraded. hardwood floors, quiet location near
Richard Secord School and many other excellent
schools. Close to Southgate Shopping Centre
and main bus route. Partially finished basement.
July 1st possession. $1,900/mth including utili-
ties except phone and cable. Call Janet Fraser for
showings (780) 441-6441. Gordon W.R. King &
Assoc. Email jennfra@interbaun.com.
BELGRAVIA - SABBATICAL - FULLY FURNISHED
BUNGALOW- exceptionally spacious, hardwood
floors, 3 brdm, finished basement. $1,500/mo.
Available Aug 15/06 to Dec 31/06. Call Janet Fraser
for showings (780) 441-6441. Gordon W.R. King &
Assoc. Email jennfra@interbaun.com.
HOLIDAY RENTALS MEDIEVAL HOUSE OR
STUDIO APARTMENT South of France near
Montpellier (780) 433-9602, salliejohnson@shaw.ca.
FURNISHED SABBATICAL HOUSE: excellent, 3
bedrooms, 2 2 baths, 2,500 sq. ft. Close to very good
schools, airport, UofA, shopping, restaurants and
other amenities. Blue Quill/Heritage area. July 06-
July 07. (780) 435-0533, peter.boxall@ualberta.ca.
TWO BEDROOMS 2 BATHROOMS quiet high-
rise condominium adjacent to UofA. (Claridge
House 11027 - 87 Avenue) 7 appliances, in-suite
laundry, swimming pool (underground heated
parking available), $1,350/month includes utilities.
Available August 1, 2006. Phone 430-6797.
SIDNEY VANCOUVER ISLAND - 3 bedroom
house for rent, weekly or monthly. Web: http://
members.shaw.ca/sidney.bc.house, email: sidney.
bc.house@shaw.ca or call (877) 281-1588.
SPACIOUS CLEAN 2 BEDROOM apartment, bal-
cony, big storage. Ann 433-2327 or 430-6676.
NEW CONDO FURNISHED - half block from
the University Hospital. Professionals, 2 bedrooms,
2 full bathrooms, 6 appliances, large balcony,
underground parking. Corner suite, university view,
upper floor security. Telephone: (780) 238-9560.
HOUSE 9203 Connors Road, 468-1528, 4 BR,
2 kitchens, 1.5 storey character, 2050 sq ft, newly
renov, hardwood, large yard/deck, walk to ravine,
minutes from UofA, Fac St. Jean, Grant MacEwan,
dwntwn, on major bus route, avail June.
BEAUTIFUL WATERFRONT PROPERTY — near
downtown Victoria. One bedroom suite with pri-
vate landscaped garden. Furnished (1,200/month)
or unfurnished (1,000/month). Ideal for sabbatical.
497-8204.
OLD RIVERBEND (BROOKSIDE) 2 STOREY-
HOME, 5 bedrooms, double garage. Near ravine,
playground and schools. 12 minute bus ride to U of
A campus. 23 minute drive to Campus Saint-Jean.
Asking $1700/month. Available July 1st 2006 until
August or December 2007. Contact: rick.szostak@
ualberta.ca or 438-3353.
NEWER 3 BEDROOM 2 BATH HOUSE - Available
for mid August, possession date is negotiable.
Quiet neighbourhood, close to all amenities and
river valley trail system. Can be rented partially fur-
nished. N/A. $1,000/month 780-472-4334.
SASK DR. 106 ST 14TH FLOOR 1 BEDROOM APT
— to sublet for 6 - 8 months starting Sept/Oct until
Mar/Apr. Includes 3 appliances & utilities (except
phone). $700/mo. To view call Henry at 439-0675.
EXECUTIVE LUXURY CONDO - SASKATCHEWAN
DRIVE SOUTHEAST - 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 2
balconies, 7 appliances, gym, u/g parking, fully
furnished, utilities included 5 blocks to U of A and
hospital. Available June 1 $2,300. Nes 457-9191.
GARNEAU MEWS - TOTALLY PGRADED CONDO
- 1,400 sq ft, 2 bedroom + den, 1-1/2 baths, 6
upgraded appliances, fireplace, hardwood, heated
u/g parking no pets or smokers $1,500 month
/2 year lease preferred. Water and heat included
Redford Property Management - Pam @ 459-7153.
FREE RENT: HOUSE/CAT SITTER WANTED
FOR JULY-AUGUST. Large, sunny bungalow
in Pleasantview. 15-minute bike ride from the
University. July 4th to late August. Call 461-1856 or
email: nelsoniauzon@hotmail.com.
2004 CONDO FOR LEASE CLOVERDALE, $1,500
/month, 2 bedroom, den, central a/c, top floor,
1,460 sq. ft along river valley, 10 minutes to univer-
sity/RAH, (780) 465-5893.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR SALE
GRANDVIEW - executive 6 bedroom raised
bungalow near university. Pictures and virtual
tours at www.comfree.com Edmonton Code 5842.
Call 436-2663.
GLENORA TWO STOREY OLD WORLD CHARM
WITH MODERN TOUCHES. Walk in the River Valley,
south back yard. 13911 - 101A Ave. $599,900. Bob
Maskell Royal LePage ArTeam 456-5656.
VACATION HOME - Solitude, fronts Tawatinaw
River Valley. 10 acres, small streams, heavily treed.
2 BR house, plus large artist's studio/guest house.
Adjoins privately-owned ecological area. Property
buyer specifications exclude off-road vehicles and
hunting. Asking $194,000. Phyllis Frick, Agent,
Jarvis Realty, Westlock, AB; Phone: 780-307-1209;
email: pfrick@telus.net.
UNIVERSITY AREA - SPACIOUS CONDO - The
Garneau - Short walk to UofA, Hospital, River Valley.
2,050 sq.ft. - 2 bedroom plus den, 3 baths, gourmet
kitchen, hardwood floors, gas fireplace, air con-
ditioning plus many extra features, large balcony
with downtown view, 2 underground indoor park-
ing stalls. Move-in condition. $409,900 View photos
and virtual tour at: www.EdmontonHouses.com
Royal LePage Noralta. Call Bruce MacPherson to
view 481-9060.
ACCOMMODATIONS WANTED
RESPONSIBLE PROFESSIONAL WOULD LIKE
TO HOUSE-SIT between the months of July and
December 2006. Please call 988-0751 or email
t.shandro@shaw.ca.
MISCELLANEOUS
VICTORIA PROPERTIES. Knowledgeable,
trustworthy Realtor, whether you’re relocating,
investing or renting. Will answer all queries, send
information, no cost/obligation. “Hassle-free” prop-
erty management provided. Lois Dutton, Duttons
& Co. Ltd., Victoria, B.C. 1 (800) 574-7491 or lois@
duttons.com.
THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS
(QUAKERS) meet Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at L’Arche,
7708 — 83 Street, Edmonton. Visitors Welcome.
Visit http://www.edmontonquakers.org for more
information.
SERVICES
CASH PAID for quality books. Edmonton Book
Store, 433-1781. www.edmontonbookstore.com.
ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A MARTIAL ARTIST?
Why wait another day? 2 for 1 Family Rates.
Northern River Karate School 707-3693 www.
ThreeBattles.com.
EDITING, PROOFREADING, AND WRITING
SERVICES 716-4242/473-2141 typescript@inter-
baun.com.
ORGANIZER - need someone to help you orga-
nize office, home or project? 716-4242/473-2141
typescript@interbaun.com.
NEED SOMEONE TO WALK YOUR DOG?
FEED YOUR CAT? | mind your home, your pets.
Residential house/pet-sitting, pet care and pet taxi.
Leave message with Mona @ 498-2917.
TECH VERBATIM EDITING, on campus. APA,
Chicago, Hart's, MLA, Turabian; medical terminolo-
gy. Member, Editors’ Association of Canada. Donna
465-3753 verbatimedit@shaw.ca.
FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD PAINTING - help-
ing you improve your space. Eric Stiwich. Phone:
996-1935, Email: ericstiwich@yahoo.ca.
LOOKING FOR A QUALITY PAINT JOB? Call
College Pro! Operating in Edmonton for 25 years,
we Offer quality work at affordable prices! Call 1-
800-465-2839.
ee eee ae
‘Your feet are t
, foundation of
; your body...
l Digital information and
| our physiotherapist's clini
| exam are combined to mal
affordable prescription
y worn in your shoes, to
| many abnormal foot
University Optical
VISION
TEST
with purchase of lenses or
complete eye glasses
FREE
analysis
ee Conveniently located in College Plaza
11170 - 82 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T6G 2L8
io FS eae Physical Therapy
Garneau Professional Centre Wheelchair
I E #350, 11044 - 82 Ave. ow paearep 433-5 500
|
Are you a full time
professor or sessional
instructor?
STOP BY OUR OFFICE
to get your ITIC Card: the
International Teacher
Identity Card.
ort’) Néte) le! Nacidoya’
27/07/1968
The ITIC Card offers hundreds of dollars in savings on:
- travel - accommodation
- admissions to museums/cultual attractions
.....and much more!
HUB Mall
492-2756
edmonton@senatetravel.ca
ibe
SIGNATURE
51 TES
CAMPUS TOWER
From
$109*
Please quote “UNV1" when making your reservation.
Generous one and two bedroom suites with fully-
equipped kitchens
Executive floors
Fully air conditioned
Complimentary high speed Internet access
One block from Edmonton’s transit, rail network
* Per night. Based on availability, plus applicable
taxes. Valid until September 30, 2006.
www.campustower.com
Toll Free Reservations 1.888.962.2522
University of Alberta @B folio'May 12, 2006.
Online atlas documents Alberta’s railway history
By Richard Cairne
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY HIGH LEVEL BRIDGE AT EDMONTON
‘Atte Canaction Radersy ent Marina Westd, ticqentver, 1013.
_ Mt. Stephen
(10,495! /
Cy Lester refers to himself as a
geographer and a cartographer, not
an author. But his research, which forms
the spine of a recently published website
entitled An Atlas of Alberta Railways & the
CN Fonds, is so exhaustive that you'll find
yourself immersed and fascinated to a sur-
prising extent.
Relief maps, maps of towns, archi-
val photographs and news stories about
Alberta's railways fill one of the best-orga-
nized websites you'll find.
“I’m not a railway buff, Iam a geog-
rapher,” said Lister, a retired University
of Alberta staff member who once served
as supervising cartographer in the now-
defunct Department of Geography. “An
atlas seemed the best way in which a lot
of disparate material could be brought
together.”
Lister began working on the atlas
between other projects, in 1981 and by
1996 it was ready to be published. But
because of technical and financial issues,
the project was shelved.
“It never went completely off the
rails, it was on the sidelines for a number
of years,” said U of A Press editor Mary
Mahoney Robson. “I don’t know how
many dog-and-pony shows I’ve done with
this thing.”
Eventually technology advanced to a
point where the project could be produced
online.
“T couldn’t have even done this project
in 2000. The computers didn’t have the
ability, the Web didn’t sing and dance the
way it does now,” she said. The universi-
ty’s partnership in the Text Analysis Portal
for Research (TAPoR) a national online
research initiative, was essential in devel-
oping the site, she added.
That singing, dancing website, pub-
lished jointly by the U of A Press and
the Provincial Archives of Alberta was
launched late last month. The website is
located at: http: / /railways-atlas.tapor.ual-
berta.ca/cocoon/atlas/.
But the bells and whistles of the site
aren't the most important element.
“The primary importance of this is the
railways, not only in settling the Prairies
by bringing in settlers and taking out
resources,” said Lester. “A lot of the little
railway lines were resource railways — that
was the means by which people and goods
were exported to and from various places.
Without the railways there would have
been no settlement.” @
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
TV News
Understanding
9/11